The talk will be held virtually via Zoom and in-person at 107 Norman Smith Hall, UMaine. A Career Q&A for graduate and undergraduate students will follow the talk.
- Virtual attendance: Complete the registration form to receive Zoom connection information.
- In-person attendance: Attendees must follow UMaine’s COVID-19 guidelines.
Speakers:
- Kate Dickerson, Founder and Director, Maine Science Festival
- Lucas Richman, Composer, Music Director, Bangor Symphony Orchestra
In January of 2019, the Maine Science Festival commissioned GRAMMY award-winning composer, Lucas Richman, to compose a symphonic piece about climate change. The Maine Science Festival team arranged a series of discussions between Richman and climate experts up and down the coast of Maine. These conversations, as well as perspectives provided by middle school students throughout Maine, informed this new symphonic work. In this talk, Dickerson and Richman will discus the genesis of this project, the experts that were part of it, and how the piece was composed.
Kate Dickerson is the Founder and Director of the Maine Science Festival. Prior to founding the Maine Science Festival, she worked in the energy and environmental field for more than 20 years. Dickerson has worked for industry, nonprofits, and educational institutions, and has expertise in the areas of environmental policy, pollution prevention, and environmental cleanup, with positions in Providence, Rhode Island; Seattle, WA; and the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center at the University of Maine focusing on policy work. As Founder and Director of the MSF, Dickerson has built a hugely collaborative partnership of diverse organizations and companies throughout the state, culminating in an annual celebration of Maine science, technology, engineering, and innovation and MSF Pop-up events throughout the year.
GRAMMY award-winning conductor Lucas Richman has served as Music Director for the Bangor Symphony Orchestra since 2010 and held the position as Music Director for the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra from 2003–2015. Over the course of nearly four decades on the podium, he has garnered an international reputation for his graceful musical leadership in a diverse field of media. In concert halls, orchestral pits and recording studios around the world, Richman earns rave reviews for his artful collaborations with artists in both the classical and commercial music arenas.
As a composer, Mr. Richman has had his music performed by over two hundred orchestras across the United States including the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Pops and the symphonies of Detroit, Atlanta, New Jersey and Houston. He has fulfilled commissions for numerous organizations including the Pittsburgh Symphony, Knoxville Symphony, Bangor Symphony, Johnstown Symphony, the Debussy Trio, the Seattle Chamber Music Society and the Organ Artists Series of Pittsburgh. His “Symphony: This Will Be Our Reply” was premiered to critical acclaim by a consortium of orchestras in 2019, including the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra (TN), the Bemidji Symphony Orchestra (MN) and the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony (CA). Upcoming commissions include The Warming Sea for the Maine Science Festival/Bangor Symphony Orchestra (prem. 3/19/22) and Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra for the Atlanta Musicians Orchestra (2022).
