50 pianos and a chamber ensemble transform the Antwerp Handelsbeurs into a sonic wave
On Sunday 10 May, there will be no Blue Hall, no classical stage. Not DE SINGEL, but the majestic Handelsbeurs will be the epicentre of an unprecedented sound experience. 11,000 Strings by Georg Friedrich Haas is no ordinary concert: it is a monumental sound installation that stimulates your senses and redefines your perception of music.
50 pianos, microtonally tuned to one another, together with a chamber ensemble, create an endlessly undulating soundscape. One piano sounds very slightly higher than the other, resulting in a sonorous landscape that is perpetually in motion.
Klangforum Wien, one of the most progressive contemporary ensembles, and students from the Royal Conservatoire Antwerp merge into one gigantic body of sound. The Handelsbeurs vibrates as 11,000 strings blend harmony and dissonance. Sound becomes tangible, the space itself an instrument. This is not music you merely hear, but feel - a hypnotic experience that completely engulfs you. 11,000 strings resonate, and you resonate along with them.
50 pianos and a chamber ensemble transform the Antwerp Handelsbeurs into a sonic wave.
Photo: Busoni-Mahler Foundation | Anna Cerrato
