ORONO — The Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine plans to host a talk by composer Lucas Richman and Maine Science Festival Director Kate Dickerson.

They will discuss the collaborative effort to create “The Warming Sea” project from 3 to 4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 7.

All talks in the Mitchell Center’s Sustainability Talks series are free and will be offered both remotely via Zoom and in person at the 107 Norman Smith Hall campus. Registration is required to attend remotely via Zoom. To register and receive connection information, visit umaine.edu.

According to a news release from UMaine, the Maine Science Festival in 2019 commissioned Richman to create a symphonic piece about climate change. The festival team arranged a series of discussions between Richman and climate experts along the coast of Maine. These conversations, as well as perspectives provided by middle school students statewide, informed this new symphonic work, which the Bangor Symphony Orchestra will premiere in March.

In this talk, Dickerson and Richman will discuss the genesis of the project, the experts who were part of it and how the piece was composed.

Dickerson is director and founder of the festival. She has worked with nonprofits, industry and educational institutions, and has expertise in environmental policy, pollution prevention and environmental cleanup. In her work with the festival, she has built a collaborative partnership of diverse organizations and companies throughout the state, culminating in an annual celebration of Maine science, technology and engineering.

Richman, a Grammy Award-winning composer, has served as music director for the orchestra since 2010. His music has been performed by over 200 orchestras nationwide. Over nearly four decades, he has garnered an international reputation for his musical leadership, earning rave reviews for collaborations with artists in both the classical and commercial music arenas.

Face coverings are required for everyone when indoors at a University of Maine System facility. For the latest health and safety guidance, see umaine.edu/return.

Updates for this event will be posted to the event webpage. To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Ruth Hallsworth at 207-581-3196 or [email protected].