Symphony847 explores the deep connection between visual art and orchestral sound

What does it mean for music to be “inspired by” a painting?

It’s a phrase that appears often in concert programs and program notes, but as composer and writer…

Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Isle of the Dead is a symphonic poem inspired by Arnold Böcklin’s haunting painting. Composed in 1909, it evokes the slow, steady rowing of a boat approaching a mysterious, shadowy island.

The piece moves through brooding, introspective passages…

Composer Stella Sung takes inspiration from five seminal paintings by Norman Rockwell in her composition Rockwell Reflections. Each movement interprets a different illustration, blending narrative storytelling with orchestral textures.

Sung’s work mirrors the expressive clarity of Rockwell’s visuals—inviting listeners…

Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, orchestrated by Maurice Ravel, turns Victor Hartmann’s sketches into a vivid musical gallery. Each movement presents a different scene, from whimsical children’s pranks to dramatic architecture and folklore, linked by the strolling “Promenade”…

Symphony847 invites you to Paintings Composed, a one-of-a-kind orchestral experience where the worlds of music and visual art collide. On Saturday, May 23, 2026, our orchestra, led by Music Director Christopher Ramaekers, will bring to life a program inspired…