News

“Synesthesia Suite” Concert Series Returns to the Museum of Science on 02/27/20

This entry was posted in performances on December 19, 2019 by marybichner

As 2019 comes to a close and a new decade draws near, there is some exciting news to share: Mary Bichner and Planetary Quartet are THRILLED to be returning to the Charles Hayden Planetarium, in partnership with Boston’s Museum of Science, for the third installment of sold-out concert series of “Synesthesia Suite” on February 27th, 2020!

Don’t miss this one-night-only immersive musical experience, featuring live performances of Bichner’s compositions paired with stunning visuals created by the Museum’s award-winning team that are directly inspired by Mary’s polymodal synesthesia, which will allow audience members to “hear” color and “see” sound just as Mary does when she listens to music.

Here is complete info on the show!:

02/27/20 “SYNESTHESIA SUITE” WITH MARY BICHNER AND PLANETARY QUARTET AT THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE
When: Thursday, February 27th 2020 @ 7:30pm
Where: Charles Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Science, Boston (1 Science Park, Boston MA 02144)
Tickets: $20 General Admission
Ticket Link: https://mos.org/public-events/synesthesia-suite
FB Invite: (coming soon)
Performers: Mary Bichner (Composer / Vocals / Piano / Guitar), Sonia Deng (Violin), Anna Stromer (Viola I), Carrol Lee (Viola II), Timothy Paek (Cello)

(PLEASE NOTE: As all previous versions of this event have sold out weeks in advance, we HIGHLY recommend purchasing tickets in advance! Here is the ticket link!: https://mos.org/public-events/synesthesia-suite
Cheers to one and all, and looking forward to seeing you there! <3

Guest panelist for Patrick Gabridge’s “America Plays” on Sunday, Sept 22

This entry was posted in residencies on September 12, 2019 by marybichner

(Photo credit: Mount Auburn Cemetery)

Congratulations to Mount Auburn Cemetery’s wonderful artist-in-residence, the fantastic playwright Patrick Gabridge, for the launch of his new “America Plays” which premiere today! The plays will run now through September 22nd, taking place directly in Mount Auburn’s beautiful landscape and featuring post-performance discussions with Mr. Gabridge and special guests. Mary is honored to have been invited to speak as a guest panelist during the post-performance discussion after the 5:00PM showing on Sunday, September 22nd!

For more information, including scheduling and ticket links, please visit the official Mount Auburn website right here:

http://www.mountauburn.org

Congratulations to Mr. Gabridge on this exciting new plays, and many thanks to him for inviting Mary to take part! And huge and heartfelt thanks to the incredible Mount Auburn Cemetery for their amazing artist-in-residence program and their continued support of the arts in New England and beyond!

Videos from “Synesthesia Suite” Concert Series on 04/04/19

This entry was posted in performances recordings on May 21, 2019 by marybichner

Exciting news: videos from the April 4th “Synesthesia Suite” concert series have just been released online! Here are videos for both “Lost” and “Finale” — performed gorgeously by the wonderful Planetary Quartet — which feature two unique technologies displaying Mary’s synesthetic impressions of each song: incredible planetarium visuals created by the amazing Museum of Science Boston and multimedia artist/scientist Thomas Sanchez Lengeling; as well as sound-responsive, LED-infused garments created by the fantastic Neoperceptions Initiative at MIT, presented in partnership with both of these amazing organizations as well as the awesome Arizona State University!:

[ Music and lyrics by: Mary Bichner | Performed by: Mary Bichner (vocals/piano), Sonia Deng (violin), Anna Stromer (viola I), Dominick Douglas (viola II), and Timothy Paek (cello) | Planetarium visuals by: The Museum of Science, Boston | Garment design by: Siranush Babakhanova | Garment audio system by: Brodi Elwood | Garment lighting by: Thomas Sanchez Lengeling and Terry Kang | Software and hardware management by: Thomas Sanchez Lengeling and Brent Smith | Planetarium illumination by: Justin Pye and Brent Smith | MIT/ASU Scientific advisors: Frank Wilczek and Nathan Newman | Audio recorded and mixed by: Joel Simches | Video recorded by: Jonathan Beckley | Video edited by: Brandon Johnson / Allthingsharmony | Special thanks to: The Council for the Arts at MIT / CAMIT ]

[ Music and lyrics by: Mary Bichner | Performed by: Mary Bichner (vocals/piano), Sonia Deng (violin), Anna Stromer (viola I), Dominick Douglas (viola II), and Timothy Paek (cello) | Planetarium visuals by: Thomas Sanchez Lengeling | Garment design by: Siranush Babakhanova | Garment audio system by: Brodi Elwood | Garment lighting by: Thomas Sanchez Lengeling and Terry Kang | Software and hardware management by: Thomas Sanchez Lengeling and Brent Smith | Planetarium illumination by: Justin Pye and Brent Smith | MIT/ASU Scientific advisors: Frank Wilczek and Nathan Newman | Audio recorded and mixed by: Joel Simches | Video recorded by: Jonathan Beckley | Video edited by: Brandon Johnson / Allthingsharmony | Special thanks to: The Council for the Arts at MIT / CAMIT ]

Thank you to everyone who made this magical event possible and to all who joined us, and can’t wait for the next version of the “Synesthesia Suite” concert series in Autumn 2019 — more info to follow soon! <3

Pindrop Sessions Finale Concert & “Senses of Summer” World Premiere — Thank You!

This entry was posted in new works performances on May 6, 2019 by marybichner

(Photo by: Sam Brewer for WGBH)

A huge and heartfelt THANK YOU to all who joined us for last evening’s Pindrop Sessions season finale concert at Aeronaut Brewing Company! Mary is hugely grateful to Aeronaut, WGBH, WCRB, Tasting Counter, Phoenix, and soprano Margot Rood for bringing this magical event to life and inviting Mary to take part. This epic season finale included soprano-and-woodwind renditions of Samuel Barber’s “Knoxville: Summer of 1915”, David Maslanka’s “Quintet for Winds No. 3”, and the world premiere of Mary’s new work “The Senses of Summer” (all performed gorgeously by Phoenix and Margot Rood!); a beautiful (and delicious!) synesthesia-themed tasting menu created by the wonderful fine dining restaurant Tasting Counter; and more.

Here is a lovely gallery of photos from the event, featuring images by photographers Sam Brewer and Diana Hunt:

https://bit.ly/2Q5J234

Thanks so much to one and all, and wishing everyone a beautiful and synesthesia-filled summer! <3

New Interview: “Behind the Music of Agents of the Realm”

This entry was posted in film and animation interviews on April 25, 2019 by marybichner

(Artwork and video by: Mildred Louis)

In 2018, Mary was honored to compose the music for the Kickstarter campaign of her absolute FAVORITE graphic novel series, Agents of the Realm, by the amazing artist, illustrator, and author Mildred Louis (you can check out the music in the official Kickstarter video above!). And so, when Mildred asked Mary recently if she would like to be interviewed as part of the new Q&A series on Mildred’s Astrea’s Nexus website, Mary was beyond excited! <3 You can read the interview in full below, which includes how Mary first connected with music, setting a schedule for creativity, favorite snacks (honey-flavored graham crackers, of course!), and more!:

https://www.astreasnexus.com/behind-the-music-of-agents-of-the-realm-interview-with-mary-bichner/

And be sure to visit the official Agents of the Realm website to learn more about this incredible graphic novel series and the adventures of Norah, Adele, Kendall, Paige, and Jordan!:

http://www.agentsoftherealm.com

Thank you so much Mildred for inviting Mary to take part in this awesome interview series, and wishing everyone a very happy spring! <3

05/05/19: World Premiere of “Senses of Summer” During Pindrop Sessions Season Finale Concert

This entry was posted in new works performances on April 18, 2019 by marybichner

It’s almost here! On May 5th 2019, Mary is honored that the amazing Phoenix and soprano Margot Rood will be premiering her new work “Senses of Sumer” during the Pindrop Sessions season finale; in partnership with Aeronaut Brewing Company, WGBH, WCRB, and Tasting Counter! The concert will feature an exciting program including Samuel Barber’s classic musical setting of James Agee’s “Knoxville: Summer of 1915”, a new musical setting of Agee’s text Mary has composed entitled “Senses of Summer” (with synesthetic elements worked into the score based on Agee’s descriptions), and more. For this concert, Pindrop has also teamed up for a special collaboration with the amazing Tasting Counter of Somerville, who will be creating an exquisite three-course tasting menu inspired by the synesthetic elements present in “Senses of Summer”!

More details on this show, including information for purchasing tickets, can be found below:

05/05/19: PINDROP SESSIONS PRESENTS “THE SENSES OF SUMMER”
When: Sunday, May 5th @ 7:00PM
Where: Aeronaut Brewing Company (14 Tyler Street, Somerville MA)
Tickets: $20-$55 — *GET TICKETS HERE* [21+]
Performers: Phoenix, Margot Rood

Thanks one and all, and looking forward to seeing everyone in May! <3

Photos from the “Synesthesia Suite” Concert Series on 04/04/19

This entry was posted in performances on April 12, 2019 by marybichner

(Photo by: Jonathan Beckley)

Hooray! The BEAUTIFUL photos from last week’s “Synesthesia Suite” concert series, shot by photographer extraordinaire Jonathan Beckley, are now online! You can view them via the “Synesthesia Suite: Constellations” page, or by checking out the gallery below!:

PHOTOS CREDITS: Photos by Jonathan Beckley. LED costumes and dome visuals for #1, #8, and #10-#11 by the Neoperception teams of MIT and ASU SciHub; dome visuals for #3-#7, #9, and #12 by the Museum of Science Boston. Featured performers: Mary Bichner (#1, #3-#4, #7, and #9), Sonia Deng (#3, #6, and #9), Anna Stromer (#2-#3, #6, #8, and #11-#12), Dominick Douglas (#3, #6, and #12), and Timothy Paek (#3, #5-#6, and #12).

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Thank you so much to Jonathan for these gorgeous photos; and to all of the amazing musicians, scientists, artists, organizations, and audience members who made “Synesthesia Suite” possible! <3

“Synesthesia Suite” Concert Series at the Museum of Science — Thank You!

This entry was posted in grants new works performances on April 5, 2019 by marybichner

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mary Bichner (@marybichner) on Apr 4, 2019 at 9:05pm PDT

(Post-show selfie! Photo credit: Dominick Douglas)

What a magical night! <3 THANK YOU to all of the amazing musicians, scientists, artists, organizations, and audience members who made last evening's "Synesthesia Suite" concert series such an incredible experience! Huge and heartfelt thank you's to the Boston Museum of Science team (James Wetzel, Lisa Monrose, Jason Fletcher, Dani LeBlanc, Darryl Davis, Wade Sylvester, Annette Sawyer, and Claire Campbell); the MIT team (Frank Wilczeck, Siranush Babakhanova, Thomas Sanchez Lengeling, Brodi Elwood, Alexandra Rieger, Stephanie Brandt, and Terry Kang); The Council for the Arts at MIT; MIT Media Lab; MIT's ACT Facilities, the Arizona State University team (Nathan Newman, Justin Pye, and Brent Smith); Scihub; Planetary Quartet (Sonia Deng, Anna Stromer, Dominick Douglas, and Timothy Paek); our awesome soundperson Joel Simches; our wonderful photographer Jonathan Beckley; our amazing musical assistant Brianna Lueders; our hair/make-up artist extraordinaire Maya Landi; and everyone who joined us in the audience for these concerts -- thank you for sharing your time, talents, and kindness in order to make this dream project a reality!

Many thanks to one and all, and looking forward to the future phases of this exciting collaboration! <3 Cheers and can't wait to share more with everyone (very) soon! <3

“Synesthesia Suite” MIT Team Awarded Grant by The Council for the Arts at MIT

This entry was posted in grants performances on March 30, 2019 by marybichner

We are so honored and grateful that the MIT team of our “Synesthesia Suite” concert series was awarded a grant by the fantastic Council for the Arts at MIT!

The Council for the Arts at MIT (CAMIT) was founded in 1972 by MIT President Jerome B. Wiesner to support the arts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. With its enthusiastic advocacy for all the arts at MIT, the Council’s mission is to act as a catalyst for the development of a broadly based, highly participatory program in the arts, firmly founded on teaching, practice, and research at the Institute, and to conduct arts-related fundraising activities on behalf of MIT.

Through the generosity of CAMIT, our MIT team was provided with the funding and resources necessary to create “Neoperceptions”, a collection of entirely new LED-based, synesthesia-displaying technologies that will premiere during our “Synesthesia Suite” concerts at Boston’s Museum of Science on April 4th. We are so grateful to CAMIT for their kindness and support, and for making this new technology and concert series possible!

For more information on this wonderful organization, please visit their website right here!:

http://arts.mit.edu/camit/

Thank you so much again to CAMIT, and looking forward to the premiere of “Neoperceptions” during “Synesthesia Suite” on April 4th! <3

SOLD OUT: “Synesthesia Suite” Concerts at the Museum of Science on Thursday, April 4th

This entry was posted in performances on March 28, 2019 by marybichner

(Photo by: Jonathan Beckley (http://www.jonathanbeckley.com)

Exciting news: both the 7:30pm and 9:00pm performances of Mary Bichner and Planetary Quartet’s “Synesthesia Suite” concert at the Charles Hayden Planetarium on April 4th have sold out! Thank you so much to everyone who will be joining us!

Presented in partnership with The Museum of Science Boston, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Arizona State University; this one-night-only immersive musical experience will feature live performances of Mary’s compositions paired with stunning visuals directly inspired by her polymodal synesthesia, allowing audience members to “hear” color and “see” sound just as Mary does when she listens to music. Most exciting of all, the visuals for this latest concert in the series will be presented in two exciting and innovative forms: a collection of dazzling 360-degree videos created by the Museum’s award-winning artistic team for the Planetarium’s fulldome, as well as an entirely new synesthesia-displaying LED-based technology (including interactive LED synesthesia costumes!) created by the renowned scientists of MIT Media Lab and ASU’s SciHub especially for this concert. Entitled the HyLighter, this new technology will be created under the direction of theoretical physicists Frank Wilczek (Nobel laureate and Herman Feshbach Professor of Physics) and Nathan Newman (Lamonte H. Lawrence Professor in Solid State Science). The Planetary Quartet performers for this show will be the wonderful Sonia Deng (violin), Anna Stromer (viola I), Dominick Douglas (viola II), and Timothy Paek (cello).

If you will be attending, you can RSVP on the event’s Facebook page right here!:
https://www.facebook.com/events/299016434058241/

Thank you one and all, and can’t wait to see you under the stars!

04/04/19: “SYNESTHESIA SUITE” @ THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE, BOSTON
When: Thursday, April 4th @ 7:30pm & 9:00pm
Where: Charles Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Science, Boston (1 Science Park, Boston MA 02144)
Tickets: $20 General Admission (all-ages)
Ticket Link: *SOLD OUT*
FB Invite: https://www.facebook.com/events/299016434058241/
Performers: Mary Bichner (Composer / Vocals / Piano), Sonia Deng (Violin), Anna Stromer (Viola I), Dominick Douglas (Viola II), Timothy Paek (Cello)

The Synesthesia Suite concert project is funded in part by the Council for the Arts at MIT.