Audience Orchestra

Duration: ca 30 min
Performers: ensemble U: (6 performers), Tammo Sumera (computer)
Software: Tarmo Johannes, Tammo Sumera
Technical requirements: data projector, large screen or wall, large TV set or display (visible for the performers on stage), sound amplification and speakers.

Audience Orchestra is an interactive experiment developed and performed by ensemble U:.
The listeners of the event gain unusual power – they can control how the concert develops, what is the music played and give instant feedback of their opinions.
In some sections they can play along with the performers and are turned into a kind of orchestra.
But unlike a normal orchestra that is based in strict hierarchies and rules, the public orchestra acts on the bases of democracy – everybody has a vote and decisions are made when the majority is for it. The main issue of this singular experiment is to investigate and play around the idea “democracy in making music”. What is it what the public really wants and expects? Are they happy if it is finally the “public’s voice” that controls the concert?

Ensemble U: is a group of six players dedicated to contemporary music. It was founded in 2002 by Taavi Kerikmäe and Tarmo Johannes. The first full concert took place on October 16, 2003 in the international contemporary music festival NYYD 2003 in Tallinn.
Tarmo Johannes – flute
Helena Tuuling – clarinet
Merje Roomere – violin
Levi-Danel Mägila – violoncello
Vambola Krigul – percussion
Taavi Kerikmäe – piano

Since 2003 U: has been performed in numerous festivals of contemporary music like Days of New Music in Pärnu and Days of Estonian Music, NYYD festival (in 2005 in collaborations with Tristan Murail), Days of St. John Church in Tartu, Time of Music (Viitasaari, Finland), Baltoscandal (Rakvere), festival Meridian (Bucharest, Romania). The members of the ensemble are outstanding young musicians, many of them have been supplementing themselves on modern music in abroad. The ensemble works without conductor.
U: has been first performer in Estonia of many masterworks of the present day’s most noted composers (Boulez, Stockhausen, Murail, Donatoni, Sciarrino, Romitelli, Xenakis, Grisey etc) . Next to that U: pays a lot of attention to performing experimental and improvisational music. The ensemble works actively to broaden the idea of different types of scores as sources of music (graphical scores, video, text etc.). In the field of musical theatre U: has worked several times together with one of the internationally most renowned conceptual dance theatre artists in Estonia – Mart Kangro. The latest co-work with Mart Kangro, “Harmony” was premiered in October 2009 on the international contemporary music festival NYYD 2009.