William Close, creator / inventor of The Earth Harp and over 200 other instruments, brings the giant musical strings of THE EARTH HARP back to the Playa for Burning man 2023! Close will perform in collaboration with the musical and sound healing organization Sound Garden.

The Earth Harp Collective debuted the instrument in 2011 when William attached the giant strings to the Temple of Transition.

This year, the installation and performances will feature a whole new level of Earth Harp technology. It will be an evolution in both visual and musical designs. The Earth Harp installation will be up all week and concerts will run throughout the week.

WHO, WHAT, WHERE…

Find The Earth Harp Collective at 2 & Encantado st on the Esplanade On the edge of Black Rock City looking out into the vast Playa.

WILLIAM CLOSE AND THE EARTH HARP

William Close is an installation artist, musician and visionary who has developed over one hundred new musical instruments including the famed Earth Harp. The body of The Earth Harp rests on the stage while the strings travel over the audience, extending up to 1000 ft. in length, and attach to the back of the venue, turning every space into an instrument.

William studied sculpture and sound design at the Art Institute of Chicago and his work explores the connection between architecture and music. Inspired by the Frank Lloyd Wright quote “architecture is frozen music”, Close creates musical installations that use the architecture as part of the instrument. The Earth Harp has been installed in some of the most iconic destinations in the world such as The Coliseum in Rome, The Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center in the US, The Seattle Space Needle, the temples of Vietnam, Grand Theater of Shanghai International Arts Festival, Brazil’s Theatro Municipal in São Paulo, The Dhow Harbour in Qatar, and major US festivals like Coachella, Bumbershoot, Burning Man and Lightning In A Bottle.

THE EARTH HARP COLLECTIVE

William is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Earth Harp Collective, an internationally renowned performance group that combines the creative forces of artists, musicians, dancers and aerialists.

The post William Close performs at Burning Man 2023 appeared first on concept artists.

Silhouetted figures dancing around 3D geometric structures, as the sun sets over a backdrop of rolling hills. Pools of water ripple and reflect light and one shot even captures a bit of the behind-the-scenes action: several golf carts parked just off a dirt path between stages.

All of these scenes will be familiar to the seasoned festival goer. But there’s a catch. No one is going anywhere this summer — at least not to massive outdoor music festivals like Lightning in a Bottle. However, electronic music fans can still dance along from home as they tune into the digital world created for this year’s LIB.

Although it was initially called off in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic, this week, Do LaB — the production company behind the Lightning in a Bottle Art and Music Festival — would return Memorial Day Weekend after all. Only now it is a streaming event, dubbed DGTL LIB.

Along with SXSW, Coachella, and many other high-profile music and arts festivals, the perennial Southern California event was cancelled at the start of the year after COVID-19 decimated all prospects of a festival season for Summer 2020 — and beyond.

William Close – Lightning in a Bottle alumni – will be performing on Sunday 6:50pm a mini Earth Harp set for DGTL LIB.

WILLIAM CLOSE AND THE EARTH HARP

William Close is an installation artist, musician and visionary who has developed over one hundred new musical instruments including the famed Earth Harp. The body of The Earth Harp rests on the stage while the strings travel over the audience, extending up to 1000 ft. in length, and attach to the back of the venue, turning every space into an instrument.

William studied sculpture and sound design at the Art Institute of Chicago and his work explores the connection between architecture and music. Inspired by the Frank Lloyd Wright quote “architecture is frozen music”, Close creates musical installations that use the architecture as part of the instrument. The Earth Harp has been installed in some of the most iconic destinations in the world such as The Coliseum in Rome, The Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center in the US, The Seattle Space Needle, the temples of Vietnam, Grand Theater of Shanghai International Arts Festival, Brazil’s Theatro Municipal in São Paulo, The Dhow Harbour in Qatar, and major US festivals like Coachella, Bumbershoot, Burning Man and Lightning In A Bottle.

THE EARTH HARP COLLECTIVE

William is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Earth Harp Collective, an internationally renowned performance group that combines the creative forces of artists, musicians, dancers and aerialists.

The post William Close performs at virtual Lightning In A Bottle festival appeared first on concept artists.

William Close set up his Earth Harp on the 300 west block and attached the strings to the Galleria trees. Not only was the performance a beautiful sight for the eyes, it also was a treat for the ears.

WILLIAM CLOSE AND THE EARTH HARP

William Close is an installation artist, musician and visionary who has developed over one hundred new musical instruments including the famed Earth Harp. The body of The Earth Harp rests on the stage while the strings travel over the audience, extending up to 1000 ft. in length, and attach to the back of the venue, turning every space into an instrument.

WILLIAM CLOSE

William studied sculpture and sound design at the Art Institute of Chicago and his work explores the connection between architecture and music. Inspired by the Frank Lloyd Wright quote “architecture is frozen music”, Close creates musical installations that use the architecture as part of the instrument. The Earth Harp has been installed in some of the most iconic destinations in the world such as The Coliseum in Rome, The Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center in the US, The Seattle Space Needle, the temples of Vietnam, Grand Theater of Shanghai International Arts Festival, Brazil’s Theatro Municipal in São Paulo, The Dhow Harbour in Qatar, and major US festivals like Coachella, Bumbershoot, Burning Man and Lightning In A Bottle.

THE EARTH HARP COLLECTIVE

William is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Earth Harp Collective, an internationally renowned performance group that combines the creative forces of artists, musicians, dancers and aerialists.

The post William Close at 2020 GLOW Winter Festival in Calgary appeared first on concept artists.

He is performing live with the production at the new Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, London. He is working with Alice Krige and director Paul Schoolman. Click <here> for more information on Persona.

WILLIAM CLOSE AND THE EARTH HARP

William Close is an installation artist, musician and visionary who has developed over one hundred new musical instruments including the famed Earth Harp. The body of The Earth Harp rests on the stage while the strings travel over the audience, extending up to 1000 ft. in length, and attach to the back of the venue, turning every space into an instrument.

WILLIAM CLOSE

William studied sculpture and sound design at the Art Institute of Chicago and his work explores the connection between architecture and music. Inspired by the Frank Lloyd Wright quote “architecture is frozen music”, Close creates musical installations that use the architecture as part of the instrument. The Earth Harp has been installed in some of the most iconic destinations in the world such as The Coliseum in Rome, The Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center in the US, The Seattle Space Needle, the temples of Vietnam, Grand Theater of Shanghai International Arts Festival, Brazil’s Theatro Municipal in São Paulo, The Dhow Harbour in Qatar, and major US festivals like Coachella, Bumbershoot, Burning Man and Lightning In A Bottle.

THE EARTH HARP COLLECTIVE

William is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Earth Harp Collective, an internationally renowned performance group that combines the creative forces of artists, musicians, dancers and aerialists.

The post William Close creates and performs musical score for theatrical adaptation PERSONA appeared first on concept artists.

LONDON, January 17, 2020,

William Close was invited by the BBC’s “The One Show” to showcase his Earth Harp. He strung his harp in the BBC Plaza at the BBC Television Centre in London. He appeared on the One Show alongside Miss Alex Jones, Chris Ramsey, Daniel Radcliffe and Alan Cumming.

You can view the unique performance on the BBC website or click <here>.

WILLIAM CLOSE AND THE EARTH HARP

William Close is an installation artist, musician and visionary who has developed over one hundred new musical instruments including the famed Earth Harp. The body of The Earth Harp rests on the stage while the strings travel over the audience, extending up to 1000 ft. in length, and attach to the back of the venue, turning every space into an instrument.

WILLIAM CLOSE

William studied sculpture and sound design at the Art Institute of Chicago and his work explores the connection between architecture and music. Inspired by the Frank Lloyd Wright quote “architecture is frozen music”, Close creates musical installations that use the architecture as part of the instrument. The Earth Harp has been installed in some of the most iconic destinations in the world such as The Coliseum in Rome, The Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center in the US, The Seattle Space Needle, the temples of Vietnam, Grand Theater of Shanghai International Arts Festival, Brazil’s Theatro Municipal in São Paulo, The Dhow Harbour in Qatar, and major US festivals like Coachella, Bumbershoot, Burning Man and Lightning In A Bottle.

THE EARTH HARP COLLECTIVE

William is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Earth Harp Collective, an internationally renowned performance group that combines the creative forces of artists, musicians, dancers and aerialists.

The post William Close strings The Earth Harp in the BBC Plaza appeared first on concept artists.

APAP Conference NYC 2020

APAP|NYC offers many opportunities to engage and network with performing arts colleagues. You can find us – Concept Artists – at America’s Hall II, Booth #2228. The conference is January 10 – January 14, 2020. To set up a meeting <click here>.

APAP NYC 2020

WILLIAM CLOSE AND THE EARTH HARP

William Close is an installation artist, musician and visionary who has developed over one hundred new musical instruments including the famed Earth Harp. The body of The Earth Harp rests on the stage while the strings travel over the audience, extending up to 1000 ft. in length, and attach to the back of the venue, turning every space into an instrument.

WILLIAM CLOSE

William studied sculpture and sound design at the Art Institute of Chicago and his work explores the connection between architecture and music. Inspired by the Frank Lloyd Wright quote “architecture is frozen music”, Close creates musical installations that use the architecture as part of the instrument. The Earth Harp has been installed in some of the most iconic destinations in the world such as The Coliseum in Rome, The Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center in the US, The Seattle Space Needle, the temples of Vietnam, Grand Theater of Shanghai International Arts Festival, Brazil’s Theatro Municipal in São Paulo, The Dhow Harbour in Qatar, and major US festivals like Coachella, Bumbershoot, Burning Man and Lightning In A Bottle.

THE EARTH HARP COLLECTIVE

William is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Earth Harp Collective, an internationally renowned performance group that combines the creative forces of artists, musicians, dancers and aerialists.

The post Concept Artists Representing The Earth Harp Collective at APAP NYC 2020 appeared first on concept artists.

William Close and his Earth Harp Collective were back again in Monterrey, Neuvo León, México this past weekend for the annual Festival Internacional de Santa Lucía.

WILLIAM CLOSE AND THE EARTH HARP

William Close is an installation artist, musician and visionary who has developed over one hundred new musical instruments including the famed Earth Harp. The body of The Earth Harp rests on the stage while the strings travel over the audience, extending up to 1000 ft. in length, and attach to the back of the venue, turning every space into an instrument.

WILLIAM CLOSE

William studied sculpture and sound design at the Art Institute of Chicago and his work explores the connection between architecture and music. Inspired by the Frank Lloyd Wright quote “architecture is frozen music”, Close creates musical installations that use the architecture as part of the instrument. The Earth Harp has been installed in some of the most iconic destinations in the world such as The Coliseum in Rome, The Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center in the US, The Seattle Space Needle, the temples of Vietnam, Grand Theater of Shanghai International Arts Festival, Brazil’s Theatro Municipal in São Paulo, The Dhow Harbour in Qatar, and major US festivals like Coachella, Bumbershoot, Burning Man and Lightning In A Bottle.

THE EARTH HARP COLLECTIVE

William is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Earth Harp Collective, an internationally renowned performance group that combines the creative forces of artists, musicians, dancers and aerialists.

The post William Close and The Earth Harp at Festival Internacional de Santa Lucía appeared first on concept artists.

William Close and his Earth Harp Collective were back again in China this week. William Close played with a complex setup of The Earth Harp strings in Chengdu, China, in the Sichuan Province close to Tibet. William and the rest of his collective were already in China earlier this year for a television performance on the Chinese TV show “Beyond” with Chinese singer Lucy.

William Close: “It is so great to bring the Earth Harp to other cultures around the world in a spirit of connection and collaboration. The Earth Harp is making efforts to string the world together!!”

Watch the William Close and The Earth Harp Collective “Beyond” Performance in China here.

WILLIAM CLOSE AND THE EARTH HARP

William Close is an installation artist, musician and visionary who has developed over one hundred new musical instruments including the famed Earth Harp. The body of The Earth Harp rests on the stage while the strings travel over the audience, extending up to 1000 ft. in length, and attach to the back of the venue, turning every space into an instrument.

WILLIAM CLOSE

William studied sculpture and sound design at the Art Institute of Chicago and his work explores the connection between architecture and music. Inspired by the Frank Lloyd Wright quote “architecture is frozen music”, Close creates musical installations that use the architecture as part of the instrument. The Earth Harp has been installed in some of the most iconic destinations in the world such as The Coliseum in Rome, The Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center in the US, The Seattle Space Needle, the temples of Vietnam, Grand Theater of Shanghai International Arts Festival, Brazil’s Theatro Municipal in São Paulo, The Dhow Harbour in Qatar, and major US festivals like Coachella, Bumbershoot, Burning Man and Lightning In A Bottle.

THE EARTH HARP COLLECTIVE

William is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Earth Harp Collective, an internationally renowned performance group that combines the creative forces of artists, musicians, dancers and aerialists.

The post William Close and The Earth Harp Collective back in China appeared first on concept artists.

William Close – a big fan of the HBO tv series Game of Thrones – was recently commissioned to rework the Game of Thrones theme song. According to William Close: “It is a perfect piece to perform on Earth Harp…I feel like it captures the epic power of the music and of the show.”

The arrangement by William Close and the Earth Harp Collective is played on the famed Earth Harp. Close also created a second version, performed on his “drum jacket”. The drum jacket – just like the Earth Harp – is one of the many instruments that Close created and regularly performs with.

WILLIAM CLOSE AND THE EARTH HARP

William Close is an installation artist, musician and visionary who has developed over one hundred new musical instruments including the famed Earth Harp. The body of The Earth Harp rests on the stage while the strings travel over the audience, extending up to 1000 ft. in length, and attach to the back of the venue, turning every space into an instrument.

WILLIAM CLOSE

William studied sculpture and sound design at the Art Institute of Chicago and his work explores the connection between architecture and music. Inspired by the Frank Lloyd Wright quote “architecture is frozen music”, Close creates musical installations that use the architecture as part of the instrument. The Earth Harp has been installed in some of the most iconic destinations in the world such as The Coliseum in Rome, The Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center in the US, The Seattle Space Needle, the temples of Vietnam, Grand Theater of Shanghai International Arts Festival, Brazil’s Theatro Municipal in São Paulo, The Dhow Harbour in Qatar, and major US festivals like Coachella, Bumbershoot, Burning Man and Lightning In A Bottle.

THE EARTH HARP COLLECTIVE

William is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Earth Harp Collective, an internationally renowned performance group that combines the creative forces of artists, musicians, dancers and aerialists.

The post William Close plays Game of Thrones Theme Song on Earth Harp appeared first on concept artists.

William Close and The Earth Harp at Gala De Danza 2019

Gala De Danza

Gala de Danza is the heart of culture and art in Los Cabos, México. Since the summer of 2013, Gala de Danza has brought together artists from around the world to help enrich the lives of young dancers and the community. Dancers, choreographers and musicians from 20 different countries, have shared their talents in Los Cabos.

With each year that passes, collaborations between talented artists continue to grow; Derek Hough (Emmy Award Winning choreographer, Dancing with the Stars), Sammy Hagar (Grammy Award Winner & Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Legend), David Lomelí (Placido Domingo’s protégé and gifted tenor), Jorge Viladoms (concert pianist and GQ’s Musician of the Year), Josie Walsh (Artistic Director of BalletRED and Joffrey Ballet School Los Angeles & San Francisco), Misty Copeland (principal with American Ballet Theatre), Ekaterina Kondaurova (principal with Mariinsky Ballet), Daniel Ulbricht (principal with New York City Ballet), Yulia Zagoruychenko & Riccardo Cocchi (Six-Time World Latin Ballroom Champions) and Youth America Grand Prix finalists, just to name a few. Gala de Danza believes in collaborations and diversity within all forms of the performing arts, giving way for the future development of a music and dance festival.

Gala De Danza 2019 Water Stage

WILLIAM CLOSE AND THE EARTH HARP

William Close is an installation artist, musician and visionary who has developed over one hundred new musical instruments including the famed Earth Harp. The body of The Earth Harp rests on the stage while the strings travel over the audience, extending up to 1000 ft. in length, and attach to the back of the venue, turning every space into an instrument.

WILLIAM CLOSE

William studied sculpture and sound design at the Art Institute of Chicago and his work explores the connection between architecture and music. Inspired by the Frank Lloyd Wright quote “architecture is frozen music”, Close creates musical installations that use the architecture as part of the instrument. The Earth Harp has been installed in some of the most iconic destinations in the world such as The Coliseum in Rome, The Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center in the US, The Seattle Space Needle, the temples of Vietnam, Grand Theater of Shanghai International Arts Festival, Brazil’s Theatro Municipal in São Paulo, The Dhow Harbour in Qatar, and major US festivals like Coachella, Bumbershoot, Burning Man and Lightning In A Bottle.

THE EARTH HARP COLLECTIVE

William is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Earth Harp Collective, an internationally renowned performance group that combines the creative forces of artists, musicians, dancers and aerialists. William and the Earth Harp Collective are available for corporate bookings, non-ticketed and private events.

The post William Close and The Earth Harp performing at Gala De Danza 2019 appeared first on concept artists.