As violinist Clara Kim takes the stage Tuesday, she’ll play delicate instrumental trills imitating the chirping of cicadas, weaving the sounds of the environment into the performance. Each note, pause and crescendo mirrors the movements of the natural world, inviting listeners to appreciate the beauty and urgency of preserving the environment.
Washington University’s “Climate Change in Concert” will feature the work of composer Christopher Stark. Dan Giammar, director of the university’s Center for the Environment, said he hopes the experience will shift the climate change conversation away from statistics and into a realm of sound and emotion.
To do so, Stark aimed to bridge the gap between the organic and the technological. His composition “2nd Nature” showcases the dynamic. He uses cicada chirps as the foundation for the piece.
“The natural world is quite complex and noisy, and this cicada [sound], when slowed down, actually sounds like a synthesizer,” he said. “It’s just a cicada sound, and that becomes the basis, in a way, for the rest of this kind of more contemporary music, which is almost more conservative than the cicada is in its sort of experimental sound.”
Stark said he hopes that listeners will reflect on the intricate relationship between technology and nature in the wider context of the world — and that his work provides an immediate, visceral entry point into the global issue.
Clara Kim plays Christopher Stark’s piece “2nd Nature” during a performance at Downtown Chamber Series in Phoenix. Kim will perform the same work in “Climate Change in Concert” on Feb. 24.
Kim agreed, adding that music has the ability to reach people in ways other mediums cannot.
“I think it’s important for [music] to … have a response to these things and to be so deeply influenced by it. I think it would be strange not to,” she said.
The concert is both a musical exploration and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Stark teamed up with environmental engineer Giammar to shape a performance that a broader audience can feel.
Giammar said that the interdisciplinary approach has the power to foster new perspectives and expose people to ideas they may not have encountered otherwise. Stark and Giammar added that connecting creative and scientific fields can make abstract, large-scale climate data more tangible and impactful.
Stark said he sees the potential for similar projects in the future. He hopes his production will inspire others to engage with environmental issues through the arts.
“The hope is that it can let other creative people — or any audience member — know that they have a voice in the world,” he said. “What they care about, they can act upon, whether that’s through a poem, writing, doing a study or writing a book. Anybody who’s moved to do so can be a part of this.”
To hear more about the role of creativity in climate research, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or click the play button below.
How WashU artists are sounding the climate alarm
Related Event
What: “Climate Change in Concert”
When: 3 p.m. to 4:40 p.m. Feb. 24
Where: Washington University’s Umrath Lounge, Umrath Hall, St. Louis, MO 63105
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Layla Halilbasic is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
