[photo credit: Pasadena Conservatory of Music]
On Sunday, December 14, at 4 p.m., the Pasadena Conservatory of Music presents Technicolor Goat, a concert that explores the profound intersection between visual and auditory perception. The event takes place in Barrett Hall at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music, located at 100 North Hill Avenue, in Pasadena, with free admission open to the public.
The Wicked GOAT series was created in 2022 and co-curated by Nic Gerpe and Katelyn Vahala, both faculty pianists at the institution. Over four seasons, the series has presented works and performances by more than 50 composers and musicians active in the Los Angeles music scene. The 2025—2026 season, now in its fourth year, centers on the theme of “color, creativity, and musical exploration.”
The Technicolor Goat concert examines how composers translate color into sound through works by Jennifer Higdon, Andy Akiho, and a world premiere by composer Brendan Faegre. Pianist Katelyn Vahala’s performance includes Jennifer Higdon’s “Piano Trio, Movement 1,” titled “Pale Yellow,” alongside Tina Davidson’s “Blue Curve of the Earth.” This line of inquiry engages with synaesthetic experience—how color perception maps onto sonic representation—extending beyond conventional music analysis into cognitive science and aesthetic theory.
The Pasadena Conservatory of Music articulates its mission: presenting “concerts that are designed to spark curiosity and show that classical music isn’t just something from the past — it’s something alive, new, and full of imagination.”
Wicked GOAT | Technicolor Goat will run on Sunday, Dec. 14 at 4 p.m. Barrett Hall, Pasadena Conservatory of Music, 100 North Hill Ave., Pasadena. For more information, call (626) 683-3355 or visit https://pasadenaconservatory.org/event/wicked-goat-2/. Ticket prices: Free.
