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The splash fountains in Dilworth Plaza at Philadelphia City Hall are now under your control.
Anyone can conduct “Water Orchestra,” an interactive public art installation that allows the opportunity to conduct the array of waterspouts like a conductor leads an orchestra.
“This program makes classical music accessible right in the heart of our city,” said Preema Gupta, CEO of Center City District, which created “Water Orchestra” in collaboration with the Montreal-based design firm Ottomata Studio.
“It allows people of all ages and all backgrounds the opportunity not just to enjoy the transformative power of music, but to discover their inner maestro,” she said.
Lina Gonzalez-Granados, former assistant conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra, is the first to conduct the Water Orchestra, an interactive art installation that allows visitors to conduct their own compositions of water and sound using Dilworth Park’s fountains. (Emma Lee/WHYY)
Passersby in Dilworth Plaza stand on a designated platform, which scans their body movements and transfers them to the waterspouts embedded in the concrete, acting like an orchestra pit.
It’s a little clumsy. The system cannot react as fast as, say, a string section. But anyone can feel the power of making something happen just by waving their arm through the air.
“It’s extremely fun,” said Mary Spencer of Abington, who spent the day downtown for a little sightseeing and stumbled upon the launch of “Water Orchestra.”
She had never conducted music before.
“In my mind, yes. I usually do Beethoven’s 6th in my living room,” she said. “I’m fantastic.”
Like many people, Philadelphia Orchestra CEO Ryan Fleur grew up wishing he could conduct like Mickey Mouse.
Ryan Fleur, President and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra, speaks at the debut of the Water Orchestra. The interactive art installation is the product of a partnership between the Orchestra and Center City District. (Emma Lee/WHYY)
“I was two years old and my father took me to see ‘Fantasia,’” he said. “When I heard ‘Sorcerer’s Apprentice,’ I was hooked.”