How can orchestral music connect with a new generation and inspire global collaboration? Orchestrator Macy Schmidt and artist Maitha Hamdan reimagine Dana Al Fardan’s piece Crystalline, blending Middle Eastern-inspired digital visuals with a contemporary orchestral arrangement infused with the pop stylings of The Sinfonietta.
Projekt Blank provided technical support, design and animation expertise, and live audio-visual consulting to transform Maitha’s creative vision into an immersive, audio-reactive performance alongside orchestrator Macy Schmidt.
Directors Nate Mohler and Ben Heim designed real-time audio-reactive animations and interactive elements, allowing Maitha’s visuals to dynamically respond to The Sinfonietta’s performance.
Harnessing live motion data, we crafted an interactive artwork that tracked Macy’s conducting movements, mapping her gestures onto a visual language of colors and patterns inspired by Maitha’s designs. Additional animations—evoking sand textures and traditional Middle Eastern motifs—were triggered live, seamlessly syncing with the music.
The result? A breathtaking fusion of music and visuals, performed on a 60-foot canvas at Pier 59, where sound and sight converged to redefine orchestral storytelling for a new generation.
