Virtual Choir: Something Larger Than Ourselves
The tools of global collaboration – be it in art, science, politics or anything else, are spanning both space and time and the 2,000 voice Virtual Choir 2.0 is just one fantastic, inspiring and touching example among many.
Eric Whitacre is one of the most performed composers of his generation. In a moving and madly viral video last year, Eric led a virtual choir of singers from around the world. In this TED talk Whitacre takes us through the creative challenges of making music powered by YouTube, and unveils the first 2 minutes of his new work, “Sleep,” with a video choir of 2,052 voices.
P.S. I suggest that you use a pair of good headphones if you want to experience the music in its full glory.
Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir 3, ‘Water Night’
Virtual Choir 3, ‘Water Night’, received 3746 videos from 73 countries around the world and launched on April 2nd 2012 at a live event at Lincoln Center, webcast on Lincoln Center Website, and revealed online.
Who is Eric Whitacre?
Eric Whitacre began his music career singing in his college choir, with no previous musical experience. By 21, he had completed his first concert work, Go, Lovely Rose, and soon advanced to Juilliard School where he studied under Oscar-winning composer John Corigliano. Today, his 44 published concert pieces have sold over a million copies, he has conducted choral music in some of the most esteemed halls in the world and his music has been featured on dozens of commercial recordings. His album Cloudburst and Other Choral Works earned him a Grammy nomination in 2007.
Most recently, Whitacre has been noticed for his cutting-edge work, Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings, a musical that combines electronica with choral and operatic traditions. The musical has earned him the prestigious Richard Rodgers Award, received 10 nominations at the 2007 Los Angeles Stage Alliance Ovation Awards, and performed to a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall in 2010.
