In May 2022, N’SO KYOTO presented “Relativity,” the first movement of Consciousness: A String Theory Symphony, at Kyoto University’s Kwasan Observatory. This outdoor performance explored General Relativity Theory through music, sound installations, and spatialized sound design, offering an immersive experience where the audience moved freely through the site.
Conceived by Yannick Paget in collaboration with physicist Koji Hashimoto, the performance featured N’SO KYOTO soloists: Mami Nakamura (Clarinet), Mayuko Ishigami (Violin), Mikio Kawahara (Euphonium), and William Prunkl (Cello). Each musician played the same score simultaneously, hearing one another through a network of interconnected speakers and cables linked to Paget’s main computer, from which he controlled pitch, metronome, and sound processing while also performing. The five distinct sound spaces represented different interpretations of space-time, with the musicians and surroundings illuminated by Takayuki Fujimoto/Kinsei R&D.
The audience moved through the observatory, experiencing different versions of the music depending on their location. This allowed for a unique and personal perception of relativity, as transitions between musicians created fluid variations in the soundscape.
The performance required an extensive 2 km network of cables and incorporated a forest installation of 10 metronomes, each set to different rhythms and connected to the musicians. At the center, a speaker symbolizing a black hole broadcasted the accumulation of live raw sound before its transformations.
Held at the historic Kwasan Observatory, the performance combined music and science in a multi-dimensional experience. A private shuttle service from Okazaki Park facilitated audience access to the site, where the event was held at full capacity in the spring weather.
Composition, Percussion, Electronics: Yannick Paget
Scientific Advisor: Koji Hashimoto
N’SO KYOTO soloists: Mami Nakamura (Clarinet), Mayuko Ishigami (Violin), Mikio Kawahara (Euphonium), and William Prunkl (Cello)
Lighting Design: Takayuki Fujimoto/Kinsei R&D
