I love Piano Day! I try to mark the day every year with a ton of content for my favourite instrument. Whilst I’m unable to post tons of coverage of it this year (I’m a key worker in a locked-down UK), Ólafur Arnalds & Halldór Eldjárn have created the perfect art installation.
‘Stratus’ is an installation of two semi-generative pianos. Ólafur has pre-determined the keys that will be played but users online get to vote on the intensity and the complexity of the music. As votes subside, the music because gentler and sparser. The pianos are live streaming all day long.
If you’d like to vote away as you are listening visit http://www.stratuspianos.is/. Here you can vote on the complexity and intensity and here the feedback over time on the piano keys. What a fantastic piece of interactive technology and music.
I hope this brings you some calm on Piano Day 2020.