Interactive symphony by Chinese American enlivens music scene in NYC

Huang Ruo (C), Chinese American composer, conductor and teacher, greets his audiences in New York City, the United States, on July 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan)

From the app, you can see people listening to the music all around Manhattan and everyone is connected in that way through music and art.

by Xinhua writer Liu Yanan

NEW YORK, July 25 (Xinhua) -- City of Floating Sounds, an interactive symphony by Huang Ruo, a Chinese American composer, conductor and teacher, was featured in the opening performance of Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The innovative musical work allows participants to listen to fragments of the meditative new work via an app on the cell phone before arriving at the music hall.

Concert goers could follow one of the routes, all of which lead to Lincoln Center in the end, and enjoy the music on the way together with other participants.

As a number of cell phones played various soundtracks together, it made resemblance to a symphony.

When the participants arrived at Lincoln Center, they then enjoyed the live music by Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center at Wu Tsai Theater with a capacity of accommodating 2,200 people.

"I felt like I was more immersed in the city and I wasn't focused on only one thing," said a New York-based participant who gave his first name as John.

The experience of becoming part of the city is really cool and it has brought a different sensory experience, according to John, who joined scores of others at the ultimate gathering point at Hearst Plaza of Lincoln Center.

People listen to the City of Floating Sounds, an interactive symphony, on their mobile phones in New York City, the United States, on July 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan)

"The music is beautiful, very calming ... I don't usually walk with the music. It was really interesting and then to be part of the other. All the music comes together," said John.

"It was an amazing experience because we were listening to the music in the background," said Gaby Sanchez, who followed one route starting from Central Park and walked more than 30 minutes on the way.

From the app, you can see people listening to the music all around Manhattan and everyone is connected in that way through music and art, said Sanchez.

The sights along the route were very relaxing and beautiful and "you could see the skylines, the trees. It's really nice," said Diego Pisapia, a teenager who also joined the group.

"As our life and living environment become more and more metropolitan, we need more tranquility," said Huang.

It's hoped that people could come together and build a symphony of their own while sharing the work, Huang told Xinhua.

People listen to the City of Floating Sounds, an interactive symphony, on their mobile phones in New York City, the United States, on July 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan)

"I hope people can exchange ideas and hear the voice of nature via the interactive and open music," noted Huang.

It's learnt that around 450 people participated in the interactive experience on Tuesday alone.

Iosh Kopecek, creative technologist, said it took nine months to develop the app featuring augmented reality audio.

People tend to have conversations on the journey and become immersed in the city while listening to the symphonic experience, according to Kopecek.

Kopecek said it's really innovative in taking the symphony out into the city.

City of Floating Sounds had its world premiere in Manchester, United Kingdom in June with a similar app developed by Kopecek.

As part of a summer-long festival named Lincoln Center Summer for the City, the opening performance of Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center was conducted by Jonathon Heyward.

Festival Orchestra of Lincoln Center is scheduled to present 13 performances in the season running from July 20 to August 10.