Unique New York State festival teams artists, scientists

What do you get when you bring together a Nobel laureate chemist, an improvisational Celtic harpist and an electric cellist?

A unique festival.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2004-01-21-ithaca-mix-event_x.htm

"We are hoping it will produce a sense of inquiry and excitement and provide a new learning experience as well as entertain," said Barbara Mink, the artistic director of Ithaca’s inaugural "Light in Winter Festival."

The unusual fusion of music, art and science takes place this weekend in Ithaca and will feature 21 events, including nine concerts with such internationally renowned performers as the Paul Winter Consort and African musician Mamadou Diabate. Other events include a winter garden walk, ice climbing and looking at snow crystals.

Many of the performances will involve original pieces of music and poetry, and nearly all have some science connection, said Mary Beth Bunge, a festival spokeswoman.

"To most people, the worlds of science and art seem separated," said Roald Hoffmann, a Cornell chemist who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1981.

"We don’t think they are. This is a fun, wonderful way to show the connection between them," said Hoffmann, who does double duty as a published poet and playwright.

Hoffmann will join with nationally known performance artist Michelle Berry to read poetry to the accompaniment of Jenny Cleland on Celtic harp and Chris White on electric cello. Berry’s poems are of a more personal bent while Hoffmann said his subjects are based on scientific ideas.

Other performances include:

• Cornell Lab of Ornithology neurobiologist Ron Hoy and pianist Emily Goldman exploring the music of French composer Olivier Messiaen and his transcription of birdsong.

• Renowned biologist Tom Eisner, improvisatory cellist Sera Smolen and author Loretta Roome teaming up for a musical slide show illustrating "the pulse of love, courtship, conflict and death in the insect world," according to the festival program.

• Mamadou Diabate and Katy Payne, a specialist in elephant acoustics, will share stories, sounds and images of African elephants and winter’s upheavals among these highly communicative creatures.

• Multiple Grammy winner Paul Winter and whale expert Roger Payne, who served as a collaborator on the whale-song score in "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home." They will join for a musical and visual celebration of the diversity of life on Earth.

• Cornell astronomer Yervant Terzian combining forces with digital virtuoso composer David Borden for a slide show and music history of the universe.

• Applied Mathematics professor Steve Strogatz explaining the scientific concepts of spontaneous order in nature while accompanied by a jazz quartet.

The festival begins Friday and lasts through Sunday and will be held at various locations throughout Ithaca. It has a Web site at jttp://www.lightinwinter.com.

Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.