Artist-in-Residence Free Musical Performance

Visit the Frick Environmental Center for the world premiere of 'phonetinus_' by our first artist-in-residence, Ryan McMasters'. McMasters' and band WOLFTRAP will then perform James Tenney's "Postal Pieces." This outdoor musical performance takes place on the trails of Frick Park near the Frick Environmental Center and ends with an audience driven, interactive cell-phone based performance.

About 'phonetinus_'

'phonetinus_', a brand new work conceived as a collaboration between composer Ryan McMasters and Naturalist Education Stephen Bucklin, is inspired by the various flashing patterns and behaviors of fireflies. Rather than mimic existing species, 'phonetinus_' generates new patterns of color and sound on participants cell phones as they wander around the environmental center in a loosely coordinated performance.

About 'Postal Pieces'

Tenney's 11 'Postal Pieces', composed in the late 60s and early 70s, are a series of performance instructions that explore the relationship between the physical phenomena of sound waves and their environment, and will be performed by WOLFTRAP at stops along a hike around the Environmental Center.

A short, pre-concert talk on Tenney's work as a composer and the composition of the Postal Pieces will take place at 6:30. This performance is made possible with generous support from the University of Pittsburgh Humanities Center and the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy.