Ease into the weekend with a show of music and art in the Botanical Gardens tonight.

It’s a joint fundraiser for the Bermuda Philharmonic and Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art.

Against the backdrop of pieces from Masterworks’ permanent collection, violinists Breanna Thornton and Laure Marshall, violist Johanna Pino Gonzales and cellist Kate Kayaian will perform “everything from Mozart to William Grant Still” under the auspices of the Bermuda Philharmonic String Ensemble.

Canapés and drinks will be on offer.

“It was the brainchild of Jens Alers and his wife, Janet,” said Ms Kayaian, the Philharmonic president. “He's a supporter of both organisations and he thought it would be really interesting to have an event that paired art from the permanent collection of the museum with music performed by musicians from the Philharmonic. So that's what it is.”

From the gallery’s permanent collection, Masterworks’ executive director, Risa Hunter, selected four pieces “based on various aspects of life in Bermuda”.

“Its history, culture, industry, habitat … all of those things,” Ms Kayaian said. “And then I chose a piece of music to pair with each of those works [based on] the colour or the meaning behind the work, things like that.”

A fundraiser at Government House last year paired wine with music performed by the string quartet.

“We had a French wine with a piece by Debussy, we had a German wine with a piece by Mozart … so the pairing idea is something that we've done, but never with art. And so that's really exciting to both of our organisations.

“It's been really interesting to join forces with each other and talk about the artwork and why I chose a particular piece of music. That whole process was really interesting to go through.”

Ms Hunter will introduce the art; Ms Kayaian will talk about the music before each of four performances.

“We decided to select eclectic works from the Masterworks collection that are diverse by way of medium, style, genre and subject matter,” Ms Hunter said. “Seeking to playfully collate a dynamic group of artworks, we selected, for example, a slapdash gestural painting that contrasts to a photographic work; a colourful and bright large-scale painting that juxtaposes a more restrained pencil drawing. Through this small selection, we aim to highlight the breath and depth of the Bermuda-based collection at Masterworks and, subsequently, Kate and her team used the visual narratives, textures and overall aesthetics to pair complementary ensembles for this sensory experience.”

The hope is that the seats are filled as the event is designed to give back to the broader community.

“This is a fundraiser so the tickets are at a higher price,” said Ms Kayain. “We just finished our annual scholarship and bursary audition on Sunday. Each year we give $10,000 to music students around the island to support their studies in music.

“And then we have, for our upcoming November concert with the full orchestra, a few of our past scholarship winners performing with us. We're doing everything we can to get more people involved in the Philharmonic — playing and supporting their music initiative — and we have some great things planned for the rest of the season.”

In the works is a choral concert next spring and summer “pops”, where musicians play in various spots around the island.

“We’re so grateful for our individual and corporate donors because it allows us to rebuild the Philharmonic, create more opportunities for students and build a thriving arts community here in Bermuda,” Ms Kayaian added.

“This event on Thursday is helping to support those initiatives, so that we can get out into the community more and more. Thanks to the generosity of Jens and Janet, all of the proceeds, 100 per cent of the proceeds from the ticket sales, will be split between the two organisations to go towards these initiatives.”

Masterworks was “thrilled” to be asked to take part in a collaboration which joins “one of the best pairings — music and visual art”.

“Whether an art enthusiast or a music lover, this event will create a layered and immersive experience through the interesting combination of sight and sound. With music responding to art, we have an opportunity to increase sensory awareness, encourage emotional expression and deepen appreciation of both disciplines,” Ms Hunter said.

“We are honoured to be supported by this special opportunity to engage with both art and music due to the patronage of Jens and Janet Alers.”

• The Art of Music takes place tonight from 5.30pm until 7.30pm. Tickets, $150, are available here: masterworks.simplybook.me/v2/#book. For more information visit bermudaphilharmonic.org/event/the-art-of-music/