Given Auditorium, Bixler Bldg., Colby College

Originally from Cumberland, Maine, Julia Gagnon gained national acclaim after placing in the top seven performers of the 22nd season of American Idol. Gagnon is a student at the University of Southern Maine. During her time with American Idol, Gagnon became a household name across the state, with Mainers rallying to support her in any way possible. […]

Certain animals, such as bees, beavers, and bowerbirds, are commonly referred to as “architects.” But do we mean that in only a tongue-in-cheek way? What would it mean to take seriously the idea of animals as architects and landscape designers? This talk by Rebecca Zorach draws on both Indigenous and European ideas of the creative […]

Join us for the annual Museum Summer Luncheon, a cherished tradition since the museum’s inauguration in 1959. Each July artists, educators, curators, collectors, volunteers, and dedicated friends gather together in a day-long celebration of the museum’s commitment to transforming lives through art, the contribution of artists, and the unwavering support of friends like you. Colby […]

Colby Jazz Band Director, Brendon Wilkins Saturday, April 15, 7:30pm Given Auditorium The Colby Jazz Ensemble continues its exploration of musical styles with work from arrangers and composers from coast to coast. Bill Holman’s arrangement of “Stompin’ at the Savoy” will immerse the listener in the sound of the Stan Kenton Big Band, and Toshiko […]

Thursday, March 16, 2023, 6 pm Given Auditorium, Bixler Art & Music Center, Colby College (Also available virtually, via Zoom) Join us for a conversation between multidisciplinary artist Genevieve Gaignard, 2023–24 Residential Fellow at the Lunder Institute for American Art, and Jon Gray, multidisciplinary curator and co-founder of the culinary collective Ghetto Gastro. As longtime […]

Swing has been a key element of jazz music for many years. Directed by Brendon Wilkins, the Colby Jazz Band plays Sammy Nestico’s “A Warm Breeze” and works by Horace Silker and Chuck Sayre. An eclectic selection of works from other musical styles will be sure to appeal to everyone in the audience.

Date: Tuesday, November 1 Time: 5:00 p.m. Organization: Colby College Department of Art Location: Given Auditorium, Bixler Art and Music Center, Colby College Join the Colby College Department of Art for The James M. Carpenter Lecture: Serving History with Faux Food and Artists’ Games: Works by Angela Lorenz, on Tuesday, November 1st at 5 p.m. […]

This lecture will be an exploration of the music of the Carribean coast of Columbia through muscial demonstrations as well as an in depth conversation and question and answer session.

Maine Lit Fest 2022 is a welcoming large-scale series of gatherings that celebrate diverse experiences and stories and brings Maine’s communities together through the power of the written and spoken word. Running from Friday, September 30 through Saturday October 8, the festival takes place in Portland, Waterville, and online. Presented by the Maine Writers & […]

In celebration of the Colby College Museum of Art exhibition, Alex Katz: Theater and Dance, join us for an opening day conversation between artist Alex Katz, curator Robert Storr, and Michael Novak, Artistic Director of Paul Taylor Dance Company, moderated by Colby Museum Katz Consulting Curator Levi Prombaum. Storr and Novak will join Katz to […]

Swing into spring with an evening of jazz classics by the Colby Jazz Ensemble, directed by Jeff Osarczuk. The program features a variety of popular tunes by Thad Jones, Victor Lopez, Bill Holman, and Gordon Goodwin, with a guest appearance on saxophone by retired director, Eric Thomas. This concert is one you won’t want to […]

Dr. Erik K. Alexander is executive director of education for Brigham Health, and associate dean for medical education and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. In these roles, Dr. Alexander shares responsibility for oversight of the curriculum, teaching, and administration for all medical students, residents, and fellows education. Alexander is the keynote speaker for […]

The Colby Art Song Initiative will reflect on the fiftieth anniversary of Woodstock in a concert that will include solo and choral compositions related to the music festival to end all music festivals. Directed by Eric Christopher Perry, members of the Colby-Kennebec Choral Society, the Colby College Chorale, and soloists will perform works by Joni […]

All professional jazz musicians are expected to know their “standards,” an ever-evolving list from which we’ll select some of the best-known examples, including “St. Louis Blues,” “‘Round Midnight,” and “Body and Soul.” We’ll also check out some lesser-known works we suspect may be standards-in-waiting, including selections from the album The New Standard and from artists […]

For the 2019 Clara M. Southworth Lecture, Patricia Miller, chief conservator at the Preservation Society of Newport County, Newport, R.I., will present a behind-the-scenes look at on-going efforts to preserve the society’s 11 historic properties and landscapes — including Hunter House and The Breakers — as well as care for the vast decorative arts collection inside and […]

Join us for this special opportunity to hear the members of the world-renowned Cassatt String Quartet as they work with Colby chamber groups in a workshop setting.

Nefesh Mountain is a bluegrass and American roots band that taps into Jewish tradition. Their gorgeous new video for A Mighty Roar was recently featured in Rolling Stone Concert tickets are included with registration for the Fall Shabbaton and will also be available at the door for $18. Admission is free for students. Doors open at 7:15 p.m.

Come to a unique weekend of Jewish music and learning. Featuring Nefesh Mountain, an old-time American roots band steeped in Jewish tradition, the Shabbaton begins Friday, Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. with dinner and a musical Shabbat service in Foss, and continues on Saturday with a full day of music, meals, and learning in Millett […]

Considered one of the most influential contemporary American artists, Carrie Mae Weems has investigated family relationships, cultural identity, sexism, class, political systems, and the consequences of power. Weems has sustained an ongoing dialogue within contemporary discourse for more than 30 years, during which time she has developed a complex body of art employing photographs, text, […]

Wíwənikan…the beauty we carry is an exhibition of contemporary art of the First Nations people of what is now Maine and Maritime Canada, on view now at the Colby Museum of Art. This panel discussion, in partnership with the Buck Lab for Climate and Environment, will focus on how climate change is affecting indigenous artists […]

We explore the roots of bebop first planted by Dizzy Gillespie in the Latin jazz featured in his later work. Gillespie’s compositions “Con Alma,” “Manteca,” and “Salt Peanuts” will be featured along with works by composers associated with Gillespie’s career such as Cab Calloway, Arturo Sandoval, Tito Puente, Chuck Mangione, Esperanza Spalding, and Paquito de […]

Join us for a rare opportunity to hear Turkish classical and folk music, featuring virtuoso Amos Libby (oud) and Sarah Mueller (violin). Parking available in the Roberts Lot, adjacent to Bixler, and along Bixler Drive. The concert is part of the New England Chapter for the Society of Ethnomusicology conference.

Please join us for the inaugural DavisConnects Health Forum keynote address by Dr. Steve Collins, a medical doctor with a doctorate in nutrition. In 2001 he received a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to humanitarianism. He is a respected academic who publishes widely in major international […]

Renaissance Men, New England's Professional Male Vocal Chamber Ensemble, presents RenMentality as part of the 2018-19 Colby College Wellness Seminar series. Renaissance Men will explore sacred and secular compositions by those who suffered with mental and behavioral disorders, including works by Schumann, Beethoven, Ives, Monteverdi, and Mussorgsky. American composer Jay Mobley will premiere a major […]

Arguably America’s most iconic musical theater composer, Stephen Sondheim’s early career successes include his work as a lyricist for Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story and Candide. Colby College Chorale and the Colby-Kennebec Choral Society will present solo and ensemble numbers from Sondheim’s catalog, including Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George, and Anyone Can Whistle. We will gain insight on the […]