A new attraction at Philadelphia’s Dilworth Park is making quite a splash with park visitors.
The “Water Orchestra” debuted at the park in early September. It’s a hands-on element that lets people “conduct” the fountains by stepping up to the conductor’s podium and waving their arms to control the water jets that respond to musical selections recorded for the project by the Philadelphia Orchestra. The experience resembles that of Disney’s Fantasia, particularly Mickey Mouse as The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.
This unique installation was made possible by the Center City District in partnership with The Philadelphia Orchestra. Ottomata & Atomic3, distributed by Wireframe Public Art Agency, designed the experience.
“Water Orchestra” debuted during the weekend of Sept. 6-7. It will remain at the park until Oct. 3, opening each day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
“When Wireframe introduced us to Ottamata — a public art agency that had created a smaller version in Montreal — we saw an opportunity to do something truly unprecedented,” said Amy Genda, Center City District’s vice president of strategy and design, to Metro Philadelphia. “The Philadelphia Orchestra embraced the vision immediately because, like us, they believe great art should be enjoyed by everyone. What started as, ‘What if we could make the fountain more interactive?’ became this extraordinary fusion of technology, classical music, and public engagement.”
Genda added that she hopes, beyond experiencing something novel, park visitors will take away something more from their encounters with the “Water Orchestra.”
“I hope it sparks something deeper: curiosity about classical music, confidence in their own creativity, maybe even inspiration to explore the arts further,” she said. “If we inspire a future musician or artist, or simply give someone a moment of pure, playful connection with beautiful music and the beauty of Dilworth Park, we’ve succeeded.”