NDR Elbphilharmonie — For Seasons, Composed by Climate Data
Client: NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra · Agency: Jung von Matt · Role: International Creative Director · Year: 1725 - 2019
Awards // CANNES LIONS - Gold - Creative Data // CANNES LIONS - Bronze - Radio & Audio // ONE SHOW - Gold - Creative Use of Data / Storytelling // ONE SHOW - Best of Discipline - Creative Use of Data / Storytelling // ONE SHOW - Silver - Craft / Use of Sound // ONE SHOW - Green Pencil // D&AD Graphite Pencil - Sound Design & Use of Music // D&AD - Wood Pencil - Radio & Audio // NEW YORK FESTIVALS - Gold - Best Use of Music // NEW YORK FESTIVALS - Gold - Sound Design // NEW YORK FESTIVALS - Bronze - Live Experience // NEW YORK FESTIVALS NEW YORK FESTIVALS Live Experience - Bronze // ADC GERMANY Gold - Digital Communication - Data-Driven Creativity // ADC GERMANY Silver - Audio - Innovative Use of Audio // ADC GERMANY Silver - Event Experience - Craft - Music /Sound // ADC GERMANY Silver - Next Level // ADC GERMANY Silver - Craft - Innovation in Production
Client: NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra · Agency: Jung von Matt · Role: International Creative Director · Year: 1725 - 2019
Awards // CANNES LIONS - Gold - Creative Data // CANNES LIONS - Bronze - Radio & Audio // ONE SHOW - Gold - Creative Use of Data / Storytelling // ONE SHOW - Best of Discipline - Creative Use of Data / Storytelling // ONE SHOW - Silver - Craft / Use of Sound // ONE SHOW - Green Pencil // D&AD Graphite Pencil - Sound Design & Use of Music // D&AD - Wood Pencil - Radio & Audio // NEW YORK FESTIVALS - Gold - Best Use of Music // NEW YORK FESTIVALS - Gold - Sound Design // NEW YORK FESTIVALS - Bronze - Live Experience // NEW YORK FESTIVALS NEW YORK FESTIVALS Live Experience - Bronze // ADC GERMANY Gold - Digital Communication - Data-Driven Creativity // ADC GERMANY Silver - Audio - Innovative Use of Audio // ADC GERMANY Silver - Event Experience - Craft - Music /Sound // ADC GERMANY Silver - Next Level // ADC GERMANY Silver - Craft - Innovation in Production
The problem with climate change isn't a lack of data. It's that people have stopped listening. The NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra wanted to change that — using music rather than statistics to make the crisis impossible to ignore.
The idea: take Vivaldi's Four Seasons — the most famous musical depiction of nature ever written, composed in 1725 — and recompose it using what nature actually sounds like today. Working with software developers and music arrangers, the team built custom algorithms that mapped 300 years of climate data directly onto Vivaldi's score: temperature anomalies, CO2 emissions, species extinctions across more than ten data sets. The result was For Seasons — the same piece, made audible in a new and disturbing way.
It premiered at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg to a visibly shocked audience, then reached 1 billion contacts globally. It became a partner of the United Nations Development Programme. The score was made freely available to every orchestra in the world.
The idea: take Vivaldi's Four Seasons — the most famous musical depiction of nature ever written, composed in 1725 — and recompose it using what nature actually sounds like today. Working with software developers and music arrangers, the team built custom algorithms that mapped 300 years of climate data directly onto Vivaldi's score: temperature anomalies, CO2 emissions, species extinctions across more than ten data sets. The result was For Seasons — the same piece, made audible in a new and disturbing way.
It premiered at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg to a visibly shocked audience, then reached 1 billion contacts globally. It became a partner of the United Nations Development Programme. The score was made freely available to every orchestra in the world.
