Penrose Marcos Allphin
composer & graduate student
About Penrose
Penrose Marcos Allphin (they/them) is a genderqueer composer. They are currently writing a master's thesis on trans composers. In their spare time, they enjoy cross-stitching, baking and playing with Percy, their cat.
Works
Theatre
Violets and Carnations
a one-act queer musical fairytale
Cellist Next Door (in progress)
a tale of gay time-travel and historical gender-non-conformity
Chamber Music
Sonata No. 1 (arrangements for piano trio, string quartet, or quintet available) (2018) (6’30”)
String Quartet arrangement premiered at the first Five College Contemporary Composition Collective concert
A winner of the Smith College 2018 Settie Lehman Fatman Prize for the best composition in music in small form
Zig Zag (in progress) (violin, cello)
Invention No. 1 (clarinet, piano) (2019) (3’)
River (violin, cello) (2017) (3’)
Solo Instrumental Works
Petite Fantasia (in progress) (piano)
Choral
Darling (in progress) (TTBB)
On the Hill-Side (2019) (SATB) (2')
Text by Radclyffe Hall
Open-Mouthed Gemini (2019) (SATB or piano & voice) (3')
Text by Morgan Ureña
Wild Nights (2019) (SATB) (3')
Text by Emily Dickinson
Salve Regina (2019) (SSAAB) (3')
Senex Puerum Portabat (2018) (SATB) (3’)
Premiered by Circle City Chamber Choir for the 2019 Transgender Singing Voice Conference
Winner of the 2019 Margaret Collins Stoop Adesso Prize for the best new choral work composed by a Smith student
Woods in Winter (2018) (SATB) (3’)
Text by H. W. Longfellow
Summer Rain (2018) (SATB) (3’)
Text by Fannie Isabelle Sherrick
Vocal (solo repertoire)
Open-Mouthed Gemini (2019) (piano & voice) (3')
Text by Morgan Ureña
Queer Poetry Song Cycle (2019, voice and piano)
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At a Dinner Party (text by Amy Levy)
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At the Touch of You (text by Witter Bynner)
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He Would Not Stay for Me (text by A.E. Housman)
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El Beso (text by Angelina Weld Grimké)
the sun just touched the morning (soprano or tenor, piano) (2017) (2’)
Text by Emily Dickinson


Recent Projects and Events
Visual Art
When Penrose isn't writing music or words, they sometimes draw people as trees!
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