Busy Little Orchestra - Update December 2009

AOM core, December 2009. Photo by Max D. Well
Left to Right: Flivelwitz Alsop, aka Tim Risher; Carolhyn Wijaya, aka Carolyn Oakley; Bingo Onomatopoeia, aka Andreas Müller; Humming Pera, aka Tina M. Pearson; Maxxo Klaar, aka Max D. Well; Zonzo Spyker, aka Viv Corringham; North Zipper, aka Norman Lowrey; Gumnosophistai Nurmi, aka Leif Inge; BlaiseDeLaFrance Voom, aka Biagio Francia; Paco Mariani, aka Chris Wittkowsky. Missing from photo: Free Noyes, aka Pauline Oliveros; Lizsolo Mathilde, aka Liz Solo

It has been a busy Autumn for AOM. We have been working on a Machinima of Pauline Oliveros' Heart of Tones with Evo Szuyuan (aka Brigit Lichtenegger), performing regularly, and evolving our range of instruments, compositions and telematic practices. Here is a list of recent performances. It seems unlikely there are many other orchestras that play in such a wildly diverse selection of events and situations.

On December 12, 2009, the Avatar Orchestra performed at Media Playground, De Hoeksteen Live!, Salto 1 TV, Amsterdam - our first live television concert, also streamed to the internet. Gumnosophistai Nurmi (aka Leif Inge), conducted a truly superior version of Bjorn Eriksson's AOM signature work, Fragula. Following a break for interviews, AOM entranced each other and the viewing audience with In Whirled (Trance)Formations, the composition by North Zipper (aka Norman Lowrey) and its growing set of masks and sounds. A video of the orchestra playing with the virtual singing masks can be found here

On December 5, 2009, AOM gave an extended performance of In Whirled (Trance)Formations at ISIM—International Society for Improvised Music Fourth Annual Conference, Media Theater, University of California, Santa Cruz. This was the second ISIM performance by AOM, and was attended in person by composer Norman Lowrey and composer - vocalist Vivian Corringham, otherwise known as AOM member Zonzo Spyker in Second Life.
http://isim.edsarath.com/

Hallowe'en 2009 brought a full length AOM performance at the beautiful Second Life art build "Orfeo's Oratorio" by Second Life artist Alizarin Goldflake. The Orchestra performed Fragula by Miulew Takahe (aka Bjorn Eriksson), Ritual by Flivelwitz Alsop (aka Tim Risher), PwRHm by Humming Pera (aka Tina Pearson), and Wee No Kresh by Bingo Onomatopoeia (aka Andreas Mueller). Alazarin's blog and photos of this event can be found here
http://alizaringoldflake.blogspot.com/

AOM performed In Whirled (Trance)Formations October 11, 2009 in a mixed reality duo with North Zipper (aka Norman Lowrey), who created the real life and virtual sounding masks that form the heart of this piece. The occasion was Marathon of Dreamers, Ione's 14th Annual Dream Festival, at Deep Listening Space, Kingston, New York.
http://www.deeplistening.org/site/dreamfestival

On September 26, 2009 AOM participated in the 3rd Annual Earthdance, Mystical Mastery in Second Life. The concert was a fundraiser for the Earthdance initiative and part of a larger series of performances by other Second Life Artists. AOM featured Fragula by Miulew Takahe (aka Bjorn Eriksson), Ritual by Flivelwitz Alsop (aka Tim Risher), PwRHm by Humming Pera (aka Tina Pearson), and Wee No Kresh by Bingo Onomatopoeia (aka Andreas Mueller).
http://www.earthdance.org/

On September 11, 2009, AOM suitably performed Aleatricity and Wee No Kresh by Bingo Onomatopoeia (aka Andreas Mueller) at the Gogbot Festival, Enschede, Amsterdam http://2009.gogbot.nl/

Orchestral Investigation #9 (Fragula) to be screened at Atopic Festival

Orchestral Investigation #9, the wonderful video made by Evo Szuyuan (aka Brigit Lichtenegger) with a performance of AOM's Fragula, will be screened at the Atopic festival in France in the "Creative" section. Atopic Festival is the first French machinima festival and will take place at "La Cite des sciences" in Paris from 27 October till 4 november. The audience will select 3 video's that will be screened later at La Geode, a huge hemispherical IMAX.

Fragula has become one of AOM's signature pieces and continues to be a delight to play and to witness. It was composed by Milieu Takahe (aka Bjorn Eriksson) in 2007, with instruments, visuals and animations designed by Bingo Onomatopoeia (aka Andreas Mueller). The video was conceived and directed by Gumnosophistai Nurmi (Leif Inge) and Evo Szuyuan (Brigit Lichtenegger)

Click here to watch the Orchestral Investigation #9 video.

AOM performs at ISEA2009 Kritical Works Exhibition

The orchestra had the pleasure of working with Angrybeth Robinson (aka UK artist Annabeth Robinson) for the presentation of her interactive Second Life installation I Am Note, We are Music. The piece is constructed as a circular arena, where avatars can enter to trigger gentle piano tones, the pitch of which is determined by the avatar height. The prominence each tone is determined by the distance of the avatar from a central column in the arena.

On Friday, August 7, 2009, AOM took part in Angrybeth's presentation at the International Symposium on Electronic Art at the University of Ulster in Belfast.

AOM performed within I Am Note, first simply illuminating its ways, then adding AOM instruments and sound samples for an extended AOMprovisation with I Am Note's piano tones. The I Am Note Aomprovisation was followed by a performance of Bingo Onomatopoeia's Aleatricity.

Angrybeth's blogs about I Am Note, the Symposium and the performance are here and here

To watch a Quicktime video of the I Am Note AOMprovisation and Aleatricity performance, click here

AOM performers for this event were
Bingo Onomatopoeia (Andreas Mueller), Regensburg, Germany
BlaiseDeLaFrance Voom (Biagio Francia), Agropoli, Italy
Carolhyn Wijaya (Carolyn Oakley), Boulder, Colorado, USA
Gumnosophistai Nurmi (Leif Inge), Oslo, Norway
Humming Pera (Tina Pearson), Victoria, BC, Canada
Paco Mariani (Chris Wittkowsky), Regensburg, Germany

AOM performs at SARC, Belfast May 15 2009

Avatar Orchestra Metaverse
SARC, Belfast May 15, 2009

As part of the Pauline Oliveros (Free Noyse) residency at Sonic Arts Research Centre at Queen's University in Belfast, Ireland, AOM will perform 3 of its repertoire pieces:

In Whirled (Trance)formations by North Zipper (Norman Lowrey), USA
PwRHm by Humming Pera (Tina Pearson), Canada
Fragula by Miulew Takahe (Bjorn Eriksson), Sweden

Friday, May 15
12:20 PM SLT / 3:20 PM EDT / 8:20 PM UK / 2120 CET

AOM on location at U21 Global in Second Life
Send an Instant Message to an AOM member to attend.

World's Biggest Smile Charity Performance

Avatar Orchestra Metaverse performs a benefit concert

World's Greatest Smile Peace Project
Saturday April 25th, 2009 4 PM SLT
(0100 CET April 26th)

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Vanaheim/176/31/2234

The World's Greatest Smile aims to enhance peaceful international communication and friendship. It is supported by 19 Nobel Laureates, including the Dalai Lama, politicians and many celebrities.
http://www.worlds-greatest-smile.com

The concert is made in cooperation with project leaders for the World's Greatest Smile Peace Project and avatar makers; Yeti Bing and Yoa Ogee.

The Avatar Orchestra Metaverse will play live “Fragula” by Börn Eriksson aka Miulew Takahe and “Aleacitry” by Andreas Mueller aka Bingo Onomatopoeia

The concert is #11 in a series of Orchestral Investigations by Avatar Orchestra Metaverse.