Excerpt: From concerts to museums, UChicago artists find new inspiration under quarantine
by Jack Wang, News Officer for the Social Sciences and Arts & Humanities, UChicago News
Projects include new composition by Prof. Augusta Read Thomas, Court Theatre workshop series
What does a pandemic mean for the arts?
The COVID-19 crisis has forced the widespread closures of theaters, concert halls and other cultural institutions, across the United States and beyond. Even the venues that manage to survive a prolonged shutdown might reemerge in a very different world—one that could dramatically reshape interactions between performers and audiences.
Some University of Chicago scholars and artists are already adapting to this reality. From soaring orchestra compositions to intimate home movie livestreams, these projects explore the arts in new ways, connecting to the public at a time when many are feeling increasingly isolated.
Composing for hope
Prof. Augusta Read Thomas has composed for symphonies all over the world, winning acclaim for her distinctive artistic voice. Now, she has written something tailored for a virtual performance, played by musicians quarantined in their respective homes.
Titled “Fanfare of Hope and Solidarity,” the four-minute piece was the result of a request from Utah Symphony director Thierry Fischer. Working from his home in Switzerland, Fischer asked for something that would sound cohesive without a shared physical space—but would also work once his orchestra can reconvene on stage.
Thomas completed it in just two weeks.
“I have to tailor the piece for what the project is,” she said. “That’s been kind of fun in a way. ‘Here are a lot of limitations. Now, make a piece of art.’”
The Utah Symphony premiered "Fanfare of Hope and Solidarity" on May 22, with each musician playing from their respective homes. Video courtesy of the Utah Symphony.
One consideration was percussion. Large percussion set-ups are characteristic of many of Thomas’ orchestral works, but because those were not available, she wrote for whatever happened to be in basements or garages—a triangle, a bell. She also opted for more solos and avoided interpretive notations like fermatas, pauses held at the discretion of the conductor. “You have to write something that makes people sound good, even though they’re sitting at home and playing alone out of the context of all the other orchestral colors and meanings,” she said.
An optimist, Thomas still believes that live concerts will eventually return, even if those performances might require smaller audiences or other protective measures. The great works of Bach, Mozart and other composers have survived hundreds of years, she said, and there are too many talented musicians today itching to play them.
So, she keeps working.
“In a way, composers are fortunate,” Thomas said. “What we mostly need is time. And here it comes on a silver platter.”
Read the full article here.