The Nonprofit Quarterly discusses the Detroit Symphony's "Symphony in D" project as part of a broader trend to harness technology to engage communities in arts and culture. Gone may be the days of the thought that “art is not for me,” as our arts organizations continue to engage audiences through a variety of ways beyond …
Lucerne Festival: Fasnacht Adventure
Check out Tod Machover's post on the official Symphony for Lucerne blog about his recent Fasnacht adventure, during the annual carnival festival that overtakes the usually calm Swiss city. Here's an excerpt. Read the entire breathtaking story here. I had been prepared for the spectacle and the wild masks, but was totally blown away by the …
Sneak peak at Symphony in D
Here's a fun piece on Detroit's WDIV TV on #symphonyind. Hear a bass trombone sound like a car's accelerator, hear Henry Ford's first engine, and hear the TV announcer speculate on what the sound of a DRIVER might be on landing in one of Detroit's ubiquitous potholes! Watch the video here. How you can collaborate …
Detroit’s “Symphony in D” app now available
From Click On Detroit The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO), in partnership with Tod Machover at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, released two free apps that allow citizens of Detroit and metropolitan locals to submit sounds and personalized mixes to the Symphony in D …
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Discovering the sounds of Detroit
From the Knight Blog: A new, collaborative symphony, led by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Tod Machover of the MIT Media Lab and funded by Knight, is taking shape in the Motor City. Below, Machover, who is gathering sounds from the people of Detroit to shape the piece, writes about his work. A version of this post …
I hear Lucerne – Episode 3
Tod's third post on the I Hear Lucerne blog is up! He brings you inside his journey to explore the Swiss city of Lucerne. From his visit, several themes begin to emerge. Tod also describes an extraordinary workshop involving the people of Lucerne and three very different artists: That same afternoon, we presented a workshop at the …
WDET interview with Tod Machover
In-depth, thoughtful interview about the SYMPHONY IN D project for Detroit, with Ann Delisi of WDET, Detroit's NPR station. Ann covers the background and essentials for this collaborative city symphony. Listen here.
Documentary Film on “A Symphony for Toronto”
Filmmaker Roxana Spicer followed the Opera of the Future team around for the months leading up to the premiere of "A Symphony for Toronto," in March 2013. She documented the process of creating the team's first collaborative symphony orchestra piece, which can be seen in her film Urban Symphony. The idea has captured the imaginations of communities around …
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Notes from Detroit
From Tod Machover's Facebook page: Was in Detroit yesterday and today to discuss a new project, and continued to meet people and discover new things about that amazing city, currently on a precipice between past and future, blight and beauty. Among the astonishing experiences was the discovery of "Hamtramck Disneyland", an urban vision built by …
Packing up for Lucerne
In a couple of days Tod Machover will be flying to Lucerne Switzerland to dig into his next "City Symphony" project, a new orchestral work commissioned by the Lucerne Festival. "A Symphony for Lucerne" will premiere on 5 September 2015, performed by the LUCERNE FESTIVAL ACADEMY Orchestra, conducted by Matthias Pintscher. Please visit the project …
Opera of the Future 