Two years after its opening in fall 2023, the Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts has become one of the College’s most defining spaces, having the unique ability to connect the campus with the greater Waterville community.
Before the Gordon Center, music at Colby lived mostly in Bixler Memorial Library and Lorimer Chapel. The jazz band filled Bixler’s recital hall with brassy improvisations, while the wind ensemble echoed across the chapel’s vaulted ceilings. Those spaces still hold a sense of tradition, but the Gordon Center has made performances more accessible for the Waterville community, allowing residents to enjoy Colby’s music without navigating the College’s hilltop campus. The building’s location on campus has reshaped how students and locals experience the arts. All performances are free and feature Colby’s student musicians and professional musicians from around Waterville, drawing residents, families, and visiting high school students: audiences who might not have visited campus otherwise.
For many student performers, that broader audience adds a deeper sense of purpose to every rehearsal. “One of the best parts of playing with the Wind Ensemble is knowing that people from the greater community [Waterville] are coming to hear us,” said Chase Kanitz `26, a member of the Colby Wind Ensemble since his first year. “It makes the music feel like something we’re sharing with the whole community, not just the College.”
The Colby Wind Ensemble, which recently performed its fall concert Present and Past on Tuesday, November 11, showcased the balance between musical tradition and innovation. The program included Kalos Eidos by Carol Brittin Chambers, a piece reflecting the vivid colors and shifting patterns of a kaleidoscope, and Folk Suite for Band by William Grant Still, who presents traditional spiritual themes in an innovative and celebratory way.
For students, these performances are a chance to explore a wide range of musical styles and traditions. The ensemble’s repertoire includes both modern works and pieces inspired by composers like John Philip Sousa, whose marches helped define American wind music. “Performing in the wind ensemble has helped me appreciate how alive this kind of music still is,” said Tristan Kanitz `26, also a member of the Colby Wind Ensemble since his first year. “We get to play everything from classic marches to contemporary pieces, and the Gordon Center provides that mix with the perfect stage.”
Performances in the Gordon Center are an unforgettable experience for both the Colby students and Waterville. The acoustics are crisp, the lighting draws attention to every instrument, and the energy in the audience reflects a blend of campus and community applause. It’s a space built not just for students but for anyone eager to experience live music in Waterville.
Even with new facilities, Colby’s older buildings remain part of its musical identity. Today, Bixler and Lorimer Chapel are used mainly for academic classes, but their history as performance spaces still resonates on campus. Bixler Library even serves as a hub for music and art books. Once home to student concerts and rehearsals, they reflect Colby’s continued commitment to the arts. The Gordon Center will continue to carry that legacy forward. In a shared appreciation for music and learning, each concert, whether instrumental, choral, or jazzy, will ultimately bring together the students and the Waterville community together.
~ Summer Woo `28
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