MASS Ensemble at Taliesin West

MASS Ensemble's performances at Taliesin West in Scottsdale will begin on April 19. This unique installation of invented instruments will explore the musical and spatial relationships of sound to the organic architecture of Taliesin.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

contact: MASS Ensemble/ Holly Rothschild 773.862.9029
             hollyrothschild@directvinternet.com
            

MASS Ensemble and The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Present "The Resonance of Organic Architecture" at Taliesin West.

MASS Ensemble, a collaborative project that blends sculpture, music, dance, and the visual arts, will partner with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation to present "The Resonance of Organic Architecture" at Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright's desert masterpiece.
Performances are April 19, 20 and 21, 2002 at:
Taliesin West, 12621 North Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ 85259.
Friday and Saturday performances are at 8 pm and Sunday at 6:30 pm.
Tickets are $25. Tickets and reservations by calling 480.637.5372. More information on Taliesin by calling 480.860.2700.
These public performances will provide interactive opportunities for audience participation.

Frank Lloyd Wright stated that "architecture is frozen music". From this statement MASS Ensemble and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation have created a project that explores the musical and spatial relationships of sound to the organic architecture of Taliesin West.

Through the use of MASS Ensemble's signature long string technology, the architecture of Taliesin West will be transformed into a series of large-scale musical instruments. Over 10,000 feet of high polished spring
tempered brass wire will extend and connect throughout the architecture creating a labyrinth of sound. When MASS Ensemble strings and plays a building, its structural elements are translated into musical form. The
rhythm and pattern of the building are called forth and explored aurally.

This project will bring awareness to Taliesin West as a dynamic performing arts facility. Taliesin West has long pursued the integration of arts; and the curriculum of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture emphasizes the interrelationships of music, theater, visual arts and architecture.

Installation of the project will begin April 10 headed up by MASS Ensemble member and instrument inventor, Bill Close. Performances will feature members of MASS and an apprentice team comprised of students in residence at Taliesin West.

MASS Ensemble will be performing outdoors where at least three different sonic environments will exist. The musical strings will stretch over 300 feet from handcrafted resonating chambers to various structures. MASS
Ensemble will also perform in the Music Pavilion where they will feature some of their invented instruments. The performance will also feature aerial performers, dance, cello, bass and percussion. By offering these
performances, MASS Ensemble and The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation hope to bring the harmonic relationship between music and architecture to the broader community.

The science of long string resonance is being developed by Bill Close and the MASS Ensemble team. Through the exploration of the compression wave, they have learned to tune and perform on strings ranging from 20 to 700 feet in length.

MORE ABOUT MASS.......The MASS Ensemble creates their own compositions and adapts traditional music into arrangements that are performed with the symphonic sounds of their architectural stringed instruments.

MASS Ensemble is internationally known for their large scale architectural installations. Recent performance installations include The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC; The Field Museum in Chicago; The World Financial Center in New York City; Mies van der Rohe's Crown Hall in Chicago; Science Museum of Minnesota; and The Prudential Center in Boston where golden strings stretched over 700 feet to the top of the skyscraper.

The Ensemble's recordings have been featured on WNYC's "New Sounds Live" Program, ESPN's Extreme Sports, National Public Radio, and a PBS Documentary. They have been featured on CNN, VH-1, ABC, CBS, NBC and various news stations and publications throughout the US and abroad.
www.massensemble.com