A chicken, a pet starling and two of classical music’s most celebrated composers come together in a concert coming to the Catskills this weekend.

The period-instrument ensemble Twelfth Night returns to the Doctorow Center for the Arts in Hunter on Saturday with Birds of a Feather, featuring music by Haydn and Mozart inspired by the sounds and quirks of the natural world.

Conductor and keyboardist David Belkovski, who co-founded Twelfth Night in 2021 with violinist Rachell Ellen Wong, says the program connects the two composers through their humor and musical imagination.

Mozart’s concerto includes a theme associated with his pet starling, which sang a version of the melody with a changed note.

“Mozart said that was beautiful,” Belkovski told Radio Catskill.

Haydn’s symphony offers a more theatrical take on the avian theme. Belkovski says the piece begins with music that sounds almost tragic before transforming into playful imitations of poultry.

“The same material which opens the symphony maybe three minutes later becomes a bunch of pecks and clucks in the orchestra,” he said.

The ensemble’s historical instruments are another part of the experience. Unlike modern string instruments, which typically use steel strings, Twelfth Night’s strings use gut, producing what Belkovski describes as a warm, organic sound with a lively character.

Fortepianist Yi-Heng Yang will perform Mozart’s concerto on an instrument from the composer’s era.

For Belkovski, the Catskills provide a fitting backdrop for the music. The ensemble is returning to the region for its third performance with the Catskill Mountain Foundation before appearing at Lincoln Center the following evening.

He hopes the setting encourages audiences to find inspiration beyond everyday distractions.

“Really trying to connect to something bigger, something more spiritual, more interesting,” Belkovski said.