Students from NYU Steinhardt’s Program in Piano Studies participated in 11,000 Strings, the latest large-scale work by acclaimed Austrian composer Georg Friedrich Haas, presented at the Park Avenue Armory. The immersive installation transformed the Armory’s 55,000-square-foot Wade Thompson Drill Hall into a resonating field of sound featuring 50 upright pianos, each uniquely micro-tuned to create dense waves of harmony and vibration. Performed alongside members of Klangforum Wien, the production surrounded the audience with shifting layers of tone and texture, inviting them to walk among the instruments and experience the music as both spatial and emotional.
For NYU Steinhardt's pianists, 11,000 Strings offered a rare opportunity to collaborate on a groundbreaking project at the intersection of performance, composition, and sound art. The students’ participation highlighted the Piano Studies program’s emphasis on contemporary artistry, technical innovation, and professional engagement with New York City’s most dynamic performance venues. Under the guidance of faculty mentors, they contributed to an event hailed by critics as “an overwhelming sensory experience” that reimagines the piano not just as a solo instrument, but as part of a vast, collective sound organism.
Enjoy NY Times story and reviews 1, 2, 3.
