Εxpanded Piano IΙ

Alternative Stage founding donor

Alternative Stage sponsor: PPC (Public Power Company)

“Imagine being inside the piano. Imagine the piano expanding to the size of a concert hall.”

Internationally acclaimed composer Stavros Gasparatos presents Expanded Piano ΙΙ, an artistic creation inspired by the mechanical theory of prepared piano, which he reevaluates and overturns, at the GNO Alternative Stage, for two unique concerts, on 20 and 21 June, at 20.30.

Ten years after the premiere of the work Expanded Piano at the EMPAC arts center in New York, Stavros Gasparatos continues his research on the ever-evolving nature of the piano, with the goal of expanding its performance possibilities and exploring new ways of utilizing it. In the context of this experimental process of sound production and use of composition tools, his work is based on new sensory means that develop earlier techniques invented by pioneering creators, from John Cage to Aphex Twin. He introduces a “hybrid” instrument that gives performers exceptional musical flexibility. More elements have been added to the new work, such as visual projections of light and images that interact with the sound environment, creating a multi-layered and intricate experience.

The research was conducted with the support of the Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the LabMAT Music Acoustics & Technology Workshop of the Department of Music Studies of the University of Athens.

The production was funded by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture