Bemidji State Music Student Earns Honorable Mention at Posters at the Capitol

Bemidji State University music major Elliott Sisterman earned an Honorable Mention at the annual Posters at the Capitol event held March 17 in St. Paul. Sisterman's project, "A Layered Framework for Intertextuality: Ophelia in Shostakovich's 'Seven Romances,'" was one of four posters recognized with Honorable Mention at the competitive statewide showcase.

The project was guided by Dr. Miriam Webber, Director of the Honors Program and Associate Professor of Music at Bemidji State. The research examined Dmitri Shostakovich's "Seven Romances on Poems by Alexander Blok" by applying a five-layer analytical model exploring texture, pitch, text, quotations and meter. The framework reveals how the character of Ophelia gains additional depth through musical interpretation beyond her original portrayal in Hamlet.

The work bridges literary analysis and musicology in a way that is unusual even at the graduate level. Shostakovich's "Seven Romances on Poems by Alexander Blok," Op. 127, is a vocal-instrumental song cycle written in 1967 for soprano, violoncello, violin, and piano. The cycle opens with a setting of Alexander Blok's early love poem "Ophelia's Song," making it the natural entry point for Sisterman's inquiry into how the character accrues meaning across different artistic works.

In addition to Sisterman's recognized work, several other BSU students presented research across a wide range of disciplines at the event. A photo from the day shows Sisterman alongside Gloria Rose, Sarah Borgen, Megan Nicholls, Elijah Wozniak, Kyla Pederson and Keshia Hunter, reflecting a broad delegation from Bemidji making the trip to the Capitol.

Posters at the Capitol gives undergraduates a direct line to state policymakers. The annual event "allows undergraduate students from across the Minnesota State system to present their research to legislators, faculty and peers while gaining experience in professional research communication," according to the university. More than 10 Minnesota State universities and over 30 students presented at the 2026 event.

BSU has built a consistent record at the competition. At the 2025 edition, students Olivia Verley and Taysha Curry earned Outstanding Conference Poster Awards for research on imposter syndrome experienced by Indigenous students at predominantly white institutions, work guided by Professor Sarah Cronin.

Bemidji State enrolls more than 4,000 students across 70 undergraduate areas of study and ten graduate programs, and is a member of Minnesota State, the third-largest higher education system in the United States.