Derek Bermel Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters

Derek Bermel, IAS Artist-in-Residence (2009–13), has been named a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Bermel is among twenty-one members and three honorary members newly appointed to the Academy, who have been elected into the Departments of Architecture, Art Literature, and Music. Bermel and his fellow honorees have been recognized for their “notable achievement” in their respective fields.

Bermel, a thrice-Grammy-nominated composer and clarinetist, has maintained strong connections with the Institute since his tenure as Artist-in-Residence came to an end. In March 2024, he returned to the IAS campus to perform “Equinox Jukebox: A Retrospective Concert” alongside pianist Steven Beck and the Jasper String Quartet, honoring and celebrating three generations of American concert music. Bermel also featured in the Institute's newest video series, Institute Instances, where he discussed how conversations with Helmut Hofer, Hermann Weyl Professor in the School of Mathematics, prompted him to compose a symphony about symplectic geometry.

The Institute's spirit of collaboration and curiosity-driven discovery has inspired more musical compositions than this. During his tenure at IAS, Bermel also created a work influenced by the research of Nima Arkani-Hamed, Gopal Prasad Professor in the School of Natural Sciences. Titled “A Short History of the Universe (as related by Nima Arkani-Hamed),” the piece presents musical interpretations of gravity, which Bermel described as “our constant companion.” The composition was shaped by Bermel's attendance at Arkani-Hamed's numerous lectures on spacetime and the cosmos.

Bermel and his fellow 2025 honorees will be officially inducted into the Academy of Arts and Letters during its annual Ceremonial in May.

The American Academy of the Arts and Letters is an honorary society of artists, architects, composers and writers who foster and sustain interest in the arts. By honoring their peers through election to membership and supporting non-member artists through awards, exhibitions, art purchases, and commissions, the members of Arts and Letters create a community of mutual support and recognition for artists across disciplines.