(Photo credit: Rob Davidson)

The Miller Theatre at Columbia University School of the Arts has announced its 25th anniversary of “Composer Portraits” will open with Courtney Bryan.

The “Composer Portraits” series offers audiences a full-evening immersions into a single composer’s work, along with onstage conversations on the creative process. This year’s series is devoted to five stylistically diverse composers.

The series opens with New Orleans–based composer and 2023 MacArthur Fellow Courtney Bryan. The International Contemporary Ensemble and Quince Ensemble present some of her recent works. Soloists include Damian Norfleet and Alice Teyssier. Rebekah Heller conducts. Arts Initiative and Miller Theatre’s Executive Director Melissa Smey leads the onstage discussion.

On the same night, a special year-long exhibition curated by Akhira Montague opens in the lobby. “Photo Call: Celebrating 25 Years of Composer Portraits” spotlights the collection of portrait photography commissions from the “Composer Portraits” series. The exhibit runs Sept. 12 through May 30.

Smey says in a press release, “There is no better way to launch the new season than with the music of Courtney Bryan, which is imbued with warmth, generosity, deep intelligence, and great talent. Over the past decade, we have commissioned photo portraits of the composers featured in Composer Portraits, including Courtney. While only a small number of the many composers included over the past 25 years are represented in this exhibition, these stunning photos show the range of people who are composers, reflecting the ambition, grace, humor, joy, and skill embodied by their music. I hope visitors to the exhibit will enjoy their experience as much as we have enjoyed our collaborations with these remarkable composers.”