On May 28th, the Haverford Music community came together for a lively afternoon celebrating student artistry at the inaugural Haverford Composers’ Concert. The concert showcased a diverse variety of student-led musical compositions by the A-Capella club and Haverford’s Wind and String ensembles. 

The Havertunes (Haverford’s first A-Cappella club) performed a heartfelt piece titled “Sing,” composed by Justina Urso (‘26) and Sophi Wilson (‘27). “Sophi and I composed a song about our passion for music, and we’re definitely very excited to hear our music be sung by the A-Cappella club! I think the composer’s concert is an amazing outlet for young performers to express their work and art,” said Justina Urso, one of the student composers. 

Additionally, Haverford String Ensemble performed “Dancing Rays Upon the Sea,” an original piece written by Vincent Ye (‘25). What made these performances even more remarkable was that student conductors wrote and directed each piece, showcasing leadership skills alongside musical talent. 

The concert concluded with Haverford senior Samuel Graaf’s statement piece – “The Death of an American Cowboy.” The piece, performed by the Wind Ensemble, was wildly entertaining due to its rowdy nature and quirks, such as the sound of a horse whinny. The piece depicts the relationship between a cowboy trying to tame a rowdy horse, ending in the horse stomping on (and killing) the cowboy, which ultimately leads to his downfall. The Wind ensemble also donned western clothes such as cowboy hats and flannel shirts, adding a fun and authentic touch to the performance. 

Events like the Composers’ Concert demonstrate the importance of providing platforms for student creativity and leadership. The entirety of the concert was organized and led by Samuel Graaf  (‘25) as part of his GIEP passion project. “The Composers’ Concert is meant to give our musicians an opportunity to celebrate their original music with the community, and as Sam dug deeply into the teaching process with the Wind Ensemble, he spread creative inspiration into even more students,” said music teacher  Elizabeth Marino, a key organizer for the concert. The success of this student-run initiative serves as an inspiration for future collaborative artistic projects and highlights the promising talent present within Haverford’s student body.