Gordon Monahan (1956) creates works for piano, speakers, video, kinetic sculpture, and computer-generated sound environments that span various genres – from avant-garde concert music to multimedia installations and sound art. As a composer and sound artist, he contrasts the quantitative and qualitative aspects of natural acoustic phenomena with elements of media technologies, the natural environment, architecture, popular culture, and live performance. In addition to sound installations and performances in the field of sound art, he also composes concert music for traditional instruments. John Cage once said of him: “At the piano, Gordon Monahan produces sounds we haven’t heard before.”
Since 1978, Monahan has performed and exhibited in numerous public spaces, museums, galleries, and festivals, including Hamburger Bahnhof (Berlin), the Venice Biennale, the Secession (Vienna), the Ultima Festival (Oslo), the Hebbel Theater (Berlin), The Kitchen (New York), the Walker Art Center (Minneapolis), Merkin Hall (New York), and Massey Hall (Toronto).

A piano is suspended on top of Beckov Castle. Piano recordings are transmitted into long piano strings attached to the piano, causing it to vibrate in sympathy. Additional sounds caused by aeolian wind tones mix with the piano recordings, creating a spontaneous acoustic composition of piano music interacting with atmospheric harmonies.

For this version, Gordon Monahan references the piano music of Hummel, Chopin, and Cowell to create new compositions that are transmitted into the piano installed at the castle.

Gordon Monahan’s works for piano, loudspeakers, video, kinetic sculpture, and computer-controlled sound environments span various genres from avant-garde concert music to multi-media installation and sound art. As a composer and sound artist, he juxtaposes the quantitative and qualitative aspects of natural acoustical phenomena with elements of media technology, natural environments, architecture, popular culture, and live performance. In addition to creating a significant number of sound installations and sound art performances, Monahan also composes concert music for traditional instruments. The renowned composer John Cage once said, “At the piano, Gordon Monahan produces sounds we haven’t heard before.”

Since 1978, Monahan has performed and exhibited at numerous performance spaces, museums, galleries, and festivals, including Hamburger Bahnhof (Berlin), the Venice Biennale, the Secession (Vienna), Ultima Festival (Oslo), Hebbel Theater (Berlin), The Kitchen (NY), the Walker Art Center (Minneapolis), Merkin Hall (NY), and Massey Hall (Toronto).

2026
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