The PMA is pleased to welcome traveling composer-performer Ben Cosgrove for a special performance in celebration of his forthcoming album, Topograph, on vinyl, CD, and digital formats on January 30th, 2026. Known for music that reflects the contours and character of the American landscape, Ben’s work resonates with the PMA’s own commitment to exploring place, environment, landscape, and identity through art. Ben’s music is a sonic interpretation of the land that has long inspired artists across disciplines. Described by the Boston Globe as “a sonic plein-air painter… [using] his piano as a paintbrush,” Ben has performed in every U.S. state except for Delaware, collaborated with groups ranging from rock bands to research scientists, contributed music to several radio and film projects (including the recent Ken Burns documentary The American Buffalo), and held residencies and fellowships with institutions including NASA, the National Park Service, the National Forest Service, Harvard University, Middlebury College, the New England National Scenic Trail, the Schmidt Ocean Institute, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, and the Sitka Center for Art & Ecology.

Ben's music has been called "beautiful and fascinating" (The Maine Edge), "deeply impressive" (Independent Clauses), and "immediately evocative and fully arresting... brim[ming] with technical mastery and emotional capital" (Seven Days). Sound of Boston has described him as "an expert at painting sonic portraits of curious, unexpected places." His new album, Topograph, a sprawling and sonically diverse collection of sixteen new pieces inspired by land-shaping processes around the country, will be released at the event. For more about Ben Cosgrove and his work, please visit bencosgrove.com.