Cornell ReSounds presented play | pen symposium Feb. 4-5

Cornell ReSounds welcomed an esteemed slate of musicians, composers, and instrument builders for a two-day virtual play | pen symposium on February 4-5. Looking at tradition and past inventions as a way forward, the presenters  showcased their innovations and design sensibilities, highlighting connections between music and technology.

ReSounds aims to establish Cornell as a center for the design and creation of new musical instruments and a hub for Cornell’s creative artists – a dialogue between the future of instrument-building and collaborative artistic creation. The project is supported by a New Frontier Grant from the College of Arts & Sciences (A&S).

The symposium served as a kickoff for a new class co-taught by organizers Elizabeth Ogonek, assistant professor, and Ryan McCullough, visiting lecturer, both in the Department of Music (A&S). The course is a multidisciplinary cross-arts lab for students that emphasizes the dialogue between past and future by considering new music written for old and newly constructed instruments.

The schedule of presentations is listed below. Attendees were able to register for each day and attend any or all sessions. Biographies of the presenters are available on the music department website. 

Friday, February 4 

2:00 p.m., Emily Dolan

3:00 p.m., Mark Stewart

5:00 p.m., Andrew McPherson

6:00 p.m., Cory Smythe

Saturday, February 5 

11:00 a.m., Jesse Jones

12:00 p.m., Devin Hough

3:00 p.m., Bart Hopkin

[Q&A with Ryan, Elizabeth and Bart]

The Cornell ReSounds project is also funded by the Cornell Council for the Arts and is supported by a Humanities Impact Grant, funded by the office for the Vice President for Research and Innovation.

Read the story in the Cornell Chronicle.