South Bend Symphony Orchestra’s Octet, a unique and immersive audio experience, travels to Plymouth’s Heartland Artist Gallery. The collaboration provides gallery visitor’s the opportunity to enjoy the Symphony’s one-of-a-kind project until the end of December 2021. Octet is a unique, immersive experience offering visitors the chance to get closer to orchestral music than ever before. The project aims to recreate the feeling of being in an orchestra by situating the listener within a three-dimensional soundscape.
“Kay and I are thrilled that the Octet will be coming to the Heartland Artist Gallery! This is a wonderful opportunity for members of the Plymouth community to not only to hear the South Bend Symphony Orchestra music but to also view the local artists’ work at the Gallery.” Shared John Finley, South Bend Symphony Orchestra Board Member, and Plymouth resident. Anna Kietzman, President of the Heartland Artists states, “The Heartland Artists, while primarily a visual arts organization, benefits from the inclusion of other art forms. Offering our visitors a broader art experience with “Octet” is exciting and we look forward to having the community enjoy the music along with the exhibits on display.”
Octet is a proof of concept. Originally a response to the global pandemic, the result transcends this period. The idea is this: eight musicians record as a small, socially distanced ensemble. After a sound engineer channels each musician through a unique speaker, the system is set in a large circle giving listeners the freedom to explore each instrumentalist’s part or stand centrally in the space and experience the music comprehensively. The project employed Symphony musicians during a time of severely limited work opportunities, and the high-fidelity speakers and immersive soundscape offer patrons a completely new perspective on music.
Details
The installation will be on display at the Heartland Artist Gallery until the end of December 2021. Visitors can experience Octet Tuesdays – Saturdays, from 10 am – 4 pm at the Heartland Artists Gallery located at 101 N. Michigan Street in downtown Plymouth, Indiana. Masks are required at the museum and physical distancing is encouraged.
To bring Octet to realization, the South Bend Symphony Orchestra collaborated with the Riverlights Music Festival, the South Bend Civic Theater, and the South Bend Museum of Art.
This project was made possible through the collaboration of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors and the expertise of Riverlights Music Festival, along with the support of the South Bend Civic Theater and the South Bend Museum of Art. The South Bend Symphony Orchestra acknowledges generous operating support from national and local organizations, such as the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County, the Indiana Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
About the South Bend Symphony Orchestra
Embarking on the 89th season, the South Bend Symphony Orchestra is the region’s only professional orchestra and is committed to engaging the community in all it does. In addition to being recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts and other state and local arts funding organizations, the South Bend Symphony Orchestra is the recipient of the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County’s 2019 Leighton Award for Nonprofit Excellence, which recognizes the best-run nonprofit organization in St. Joseph County, Indiana.
127 N. Michigan St. ● South Bend, IN 46601 ● Phone: 574-232-6343 ● Fax: 574-232-6627 ● www.southbendsymphony.org
About the Heartland Artists Gallery
The Heartland Artists Gallery’s mission is to support area artists and to bring and to teach the arts to our community. Our not-for-profit gallery gives area artists a venue to show and sell their artwork. Activities are made possible, in part, by the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County and The Indiana Arts Commission, which receives support from the State of Indiana and The National Endowment for the Arts. Visit www.heartlandartgallery.com and find us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For more information, contact the gallery at 574-936-9515.
