WILLIAM CLOSE & THE EARTH HARP COLLECTIVE

WILLIAM CLOSE
&THE EARTH HARP COLLECTIVE
"WILLIAM CLOSE IS REDESIGNING THE MUSIC EXPERIENCE! ....CREATING NEW ARCHITECTURAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS THAT PUTS THE AUDIENCE INSIDE THE INSTRUMENT!"
THE EARTH HARP - INVENTED BY WILLIAM CLOSE
The EARTH HARP transforms venues, landscapes and architecture into huge environmental symphonic stringed instruments!
The EARTH HARP mounts to the stage and the strings shoot out over the audience attaching to the theater and architecture and turning it into the instrument ! The audience is literally inside a giant stringed instrument!
THE EARTH HARP HOLDS THE WORLD'S RECORD AS "THE LONGEST PLAYABLE STRINGED INSTRUMENT ON THE PLANET!"

THE EARTH HARP
This is William's most widely known musical creation. The giant strings of instrument tie into the architecture or the landscape. The space is transformed into the instrument. In a theater / concert hall for instance the EARTH HARP chambers rest on the stage and the strings go from the stage, out over the audience to the balcony or some aspect of the architecture. The theater becomes the instrument. The audience is experiencing the music from inside the instrument!

"It's like being in a giant cello" New York Times
The first EARTH HARP
William Close invented the first EARTH HARP at the turn of the millennium. He mounted four large resonators and bridge roughly the size of a 2 grand pianos to the ground on one side of a valley. He then ran the strings from that side of a valley almost 1000ft across to the other side, creating a giant harp out of the landscape. This was the worlds first EARTH HARP!
Since then he has had the honor of installing the EARTH HARP all around the world. He has installed it in concert halls, museums, and PAC's. From giant Festival stages out over the crowds, to the tops of skyscrapers, across canyons and valleys, to mountain peaks and ancient temples. Inside cathedrals, arenas, and sport stadiums, to historic monuments, historic sites and historic architecture. Across and into lakes, pools and beaches. In giant glass atriums, airport terminal and public plazas.
The EARTH HARP creates a symphonic musical experience that brings focus, awareness and honor to the places in which it is installed and played.
William continues to develop the sonic beauty of the instrument, always refining and trying new designs. William has designed and built over 50 different bridges and resonating chambers for the EARTH HARP. At present, he has 15 of his top designs to pick from when he goes to install an EARTH HARP project.

Mountain Installation
This is a real photo of the EARTH HARP Mountain installation. The strings went from the chamber on the stage all the way to the top of the mountain peak. The strings were tied into the mountain with rock climbing gear. The mountain peak had caves in the top. When the Earth Harp was being played the sound would resonate in the caves...The Mountain was creating music!
Installing the EARTH HARP is a sort of sport combining rigging, climbing, and tension creation.
We refer to it as "EARTH HARP-ING"
A typical concert hall / PAC installation takes only 3 hours!
A mountain or a skyscraper....... can take 3 days!

The EARTH HARP performs for NBC at Radio City Music Hall -
In this photo William Close plays the Radio City EARTH HARP using his specially developed technique of playing with violin rosin and gloves. His technique pulls beautiful symphonic tones from the giant strings. The pure acoustic tones are then amplified through standard microphones and put through the sound system. This is an acoustic instrument, no computers are involved in creating the symphonic sound!
William's early experiments led him to this unique way of playing the giant strings. They are played with violin rosin on the fingers. By running the fingers along the strings it creates a beautiful and unique sound. It sets up what is referred to as a "compression wave" type of vibration. It vibrates the material of the strings similar to running a finger around the edge of a wine glass. This is a different type of vibration than that of a plucked or bowed string. After exploring and developing this unique way of playing the strings, William invented a unique tuning method which uses floating bridges that mount to each string. With long enough strings, the musical range of the Earth Harp can go from the highest note on a violin to the lowest note on a bass!
And beyond.....
SKY SCRAPER EARTH HARP PROJECT
WILLIAM & the EARTH HARP received the Guinness World record for "longest playable stringed instrument in the world" - This occurred at his first sky scraper installation in Singapore ! The strings of the EARTH HARP went 1000 ft from the plaza stage to the top of a beautiful new sky scraper building!
WHAT WE DO! INSTALLATIONS, CONCERTS, EXHIBITS, PRODUCTIONS ....
THE EARTH HARP COLLECTIVE IS EXTREMELY WELL RECEIVED IN MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF VENUES FESTIVALS AND EVENTS. THEY HAVE RECEIVED STANDING OVATIONS FROM SOLD OUT AUDIENCES AROUND THE WORLD!

MUSIC FESTIVALS, INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVALS, PUBLIC ART INSTALLATIONS AND CONCERT SERIES
PERFORMING ARTS CENTERS, CONCERT HALLS AND MUSEUMS
CORPORATE AND SPECIAL EVENTS, OPENING / CLOSING SESSIONS, INNOVATIVE CONCERT EXPERIENCE.
HOLIDAY CONCERTS, CONCERTS THEMED IN SACRED MUSIC
LECTURES , LECTURE DEMONSTRATIONS, WORKSHOPS
PAST PERFORMANCES AND PROJECTS
WILLIAM HAS PRESENTED THE EARTH HARP IN MANY ILLUSTRIOUS LOCATIONS AROUND THE WORLD. SOME HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

PERFORMING ARTS CENTERS & CONCERT HALLS:
KENNEDY CENTER, WASHINGTON DC / THE KIMMEL CENTER, PHILADELPHIA / THE SHANGHAI GRAND THEATER / THE VAN WEZEL PERFORMANCE CENTER / THE BROWARD CENTER / THE ALYS STEVENS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER / THOUSAND OAKS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER / TAMPA BAY AND MESA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AND MANY MORE...

FESTIVALS:
SINGAPORE NIGHT FESTIVAL / SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL / UTAH ARTS FESTIVAL / JERUSALEM FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS / BUMBERSHOOT SEATTLE / THE COLISEUM IN ROME FOR NOTTE BIANCA / WHITE NIGHTS MIAMI / BURNING MAN / COACHELLA / LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE / MACAU INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL / LOLLAPALOOZA / MAIN STREET ARTS FESTIVAL AND MANY MORE...

CORPORATE CLIENTS AND PRIVATE EVENTS:
OPENING OF THE ARIA LAS VEGAS / MGM GRAND SPECIAL EVENTS / OPENING OF THE NEW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TERMINAL, HONG KONG / CITI GROUP / GALLO / SAMSUNG / MICROSOFT / GOOGLE / CHIVAS INTERNATIONAL / THE WORLD FINANCIAL CENTER, SINGAPORE / THE VERSACE MANSION / MERCEDES / HEINEKEN / BURBERRY AND MANY MORE...

SPECIAL PROJECTS AND PERFORMANCES:
GUINNESS WORLD RECORD HOLDER ! LONGEST PLAYABLE STRINGED INSTRUMENT - WILLIAM CLOSE ATTACHES EARTH HARP TO A SKYSCRAPER IN SINGAPORE!
PERMANENT INSTALLATION FOR THE CIRQUE DU SOLEI SHOW “KA” AT THE MGM LAS VEGAS
BRONZE MEDAL WINNER ON THE NO. 1 INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED SHOW “AMERICA’S GOT TALENT”
"SONIC ODYSSEY" A PERMANENT PRODUCTION SHOW ON ROYAL CARIBBEAN'S FLAG SHIP "QUANTUM OF THE SEAS"

PERFORMANCE RUN AT THE PALAZZO THEATER, LAS VEGAS
STRINGING THE SEATTLE SPACE NEEDLE FOR PERFORMANCE RUN AT THE BUMBERSHOOT FESTIVAL
DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTERACTIVE MUSEUM OF MUSIC AND INSTRUMENTS
THE SHARJA WATERFRONT IN THE UAE, WHERE THE EARTH HARP WAS SYNCHED WITH THE FOUNTAIN SHOW STRINGING THE EARTH HARP TO A 9TH CENTURY CASTLE IN ITALY FRO THEVERUCHIO ARTS FESTIVAL.
ARTIST RESIDENCIES AT THE FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND THE CARNEGIE SCIENCE CENTER, THE KENNEDY CENTER
THE EXPLORATORIUM - SAN FRANCISCO, CA
THE FIELD MUSEUM - CHICAGO, IL (FIRST PUBLIC INSTALLATION OF THE EARTH HARP!)
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TECHNICAL / DOWNLOADS
EHC - TECH DOC - FULL TEAM
EHC - DUET / TRIO TECH
EHC - SOLO
NEW MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS / MUSICAL INVENTIONSINVENTIONS & CREATIONS BY WILLIAM CLOSE
William Close has been creating new instruments for over 20 years and has invented over 100 new instruments and new musical designs. He conceptualizes, designs and builds these musical inventions. In most cases he plays the inventions, though William often has other talented musicians play and perform with the instruments as they find often new ways and styles of creating music with the new instruments! His instruments are featured in all EARTH HARP COLLECTIVE CONCERTS. William has invented new works new for special productions and exhibits with Royal Caribbean, The Super Bowl, Cirque du Soleil and Americas Got Talent .... PHOTOS AND VIDEOS
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PERFORMANCE PHOTOS - EARTH HARP COLLECTIVE
Here are some epic moments from WCEHC Concerts
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VIDEO GALLERY
WILLIAM CLOSE &THE EARTH HARP COLLECTIVE TRACKS
AMAZING PROJECTS -

IN 2012 WILLIAM CLOSE won a third place honor on America's Got Talent, which started the season with over ten thousand contestants. William and his team were highly praised by the judges and producers from NBC. He was asked to return to the show in 2015 where he performed a collaboration with finalist Emily West. It was the first time two previous contestants had collaborated on the Show. Here are some of the great AGT / WILLIAM CLOSE moments .....

WILLIAM & EHC ON AMERICAS GOT TALENT

KENNEDY CENTER RESIDENCY 2016
WILLIAM AND THE EARTH HARP COLLECTIVE WAS INVITED BY THE KENNEDY CENTER IN WASHINGTON DC FOR AN EXTENDED STAY. WILLIAM INSTALLED TWO MAJESTIC EARTH HARPS IN THE GRAND ENTRANCE HALL OF STATES. HE THEN GAVE DAILEY CONCERTS FOR THE PUBLIC. HE ALSO LED INSTRUMENT BUILDING WORKSHOPS FOR THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. THE RESIDENCY CULMINATED WHEN THE FULL EARTH HARP COLLECTIVE JOINED WILLIAM FOR A FINAL CONCERT IN THE EISENHOWER THEATER. WILLIAM SETUP A THIRD EARTH HARP AND PERFORMED A SOLD OUT CONCERT THE CULMINATED IN TO AWESOME STANDING OVATIONS!
EHC TEAM
THE EARTH HARP COLLECTIVE IS MADE UP OF A TALENTED AND AMAZING GROUP OF PEOPLE. THE FAMILY EXTENDS TO WHERE WE CAN HAVE 3 TO 4 EHC TEAMS GOING AT ONE TIME. THE EXTENDED EHC TEAM IS......

WILLIAM CLOSE
William Close is an installation artist, musician, and visionary who has developed more than 100 new musical instruments, including the famed Earth Harp. The body of the Earth Harp rests on the stage while the strings travel over the audience, extending up to 1,000 feet in length, and attach to the back of the venue, turning every space into an instrument. Mr. Close creates musical installations that use the architecture as part of the instrument. Close is a New York native and alumni at the Art Institute of Chicago. He comes from a family of Artist Architects and Designers. An avid musician who played in garage bands as a teenager In Art School he started building his own instruments. His background as a sailor turned him on to natural sounds—the wind whipping the sails, the sound of the rigs flapping and being pulled tight. Mr. Close is the founder and artistic director of the Earth Harp Collective.......

SARAH WERRIN
Sarah Werrin is a multi disciplinary artist with the unique credit of having Earth Harp be her native instrument. Through deep encouragement and instruction from William Close to “find the Musician within” Sarah embraced this adventure, defining her own sound, technique and unfiltered relationship with the Earth Harp. Williams instincts have proved right resulting in a powerful partnership of balance, creative expansion, and ultimate harmony of their two distinct musical voices.
Sarah’s passion is for the human experience - the psychology, history, and anthropology of our evolving collective story. It is the lens through which she creates all art - always seeking the emotional connection and creative transference that lies within. This philosophy has led her to her position as the Music Supervisor for the Earth Harp Collective. Her encyclopedic love of Rock, Classical, and World music, seasoned creative instincts, as well as her uncanny knowledge of song lyrics throughout the ages is responsible for The Earth Harp Collective’s current musical catalog.
Sarah has had the pleasure of performing for Google, America’s got Talent, the Super Bowl, and beloved concert venues and festivals throughout the world.

MATT KENDALL

Matt Kendall, Senior Vice President - CONCEPT ARTISTS
Matt got his first start in the industry in 2003 with ICM Artists (now Opus 3 Artists), one of the leading agencies for classical music, jazz, dance, theater and world music. As a member of ICM Artists booking department, Matt had the pleasure of working with such visionary artists as Yo-Yo Ma, Bobby McFerrin, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Wynton Marsalis and Ravi Shankar.
In the spring of 2005, Matt left the conventional agency world to become an agent with Industrial Artist Management– the world's premier talent agency specializing in private and corporate events, product launches and trade shows. Lending his professional and creative expertise to some of the most knowledgeable and respected producers, creative directors and event coordinators in the business, Matt has worked on global projects for: Microsoft, Michael Jordan, Motorola, Snickers, Staples, Google, Nintendo, Nike, IBM, Time Warner, Panasonic, LG, Toyota, PepsiCo, Sony, and many more.
As Senior Vice President of Concept Artists, Matt is excited and enthused to continue his work with a tremendously talented group of performance artists, musicians and speakers. A dedicated professional, Matt understands the value of excellent customer service; his ability to listen to a client's goals and offer effective entertainment solutions makes him an asset to his loyal client base, and has greatly contributed to Concept Artists' emergence as an industry leader.
Matt lives in New Jersey with his wife and 3 kids.

RAFE PEARLMAN
Rafe Pearlman’s music is anchored by his vocal range, deep and full, and it seemingly flows forth from cultures around the world, ethnic and urban. Colored by the sounds, textures, and experiences of a lifetime of trav- el, from the Alaskan Bush to the Middle East, Mr. Pearlman’s music inspires emotion and moves the spirit. A study of contradictions and an explorative synthesis of vocal styles, his voice and music have been described as eccentric, passionate, cerebral, gentle, poignant, earthy, and reflective. From Seattle, New York, and Los Angeles to Canada, Australia, and Israel, Mr. Pearlman has shared the stage with Zakir Hussain, Brandi Carlile, Babatunde Olatunji, Candlebox, Cheikh Lo, Sheva, George Brooks, Sky Cries Mary, Jai Uttal, Paul Winter, and Ashish Khan. He is the lead singer with William Close and the Earth Harp Collective. He also teaches Finding your Natural Voice Soundhealing Workshops globally.

SHAINA EVONIUK
Electric and acoustic violinist Shaina Evoniuk has been dazzling audiences for almost a decade. Whether she is flying over- head on an aerial rig, rocking with a hip hop band, performing solo, or playing with the numerous bands she leads, get ready to feel her contagious energy and virtuosic force. Ms. Evoniuk earned her bachelor of music in vio- lin performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and has studied at the Berkeley Jazz Conservatory and with Mark O’Conner, and the Cavani String Quartet, among greats. She has performed all over the world, including at Carnegie Hall, Beijing’s Spring Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, and across Europe. Currently based out of the Bay area, Ms. Evoniuk is a member of the Magik*Magik Orchestra and The Jazz Mafia. Her recent credits include collaborations with The Dear Hunter, Beats Antique, Barrage, DJ Qbert, Third Eye Blind, Macy Gray, Latyrx, Chicago, Narada Michael Walden, Roy Ayers, David Grisman, Geographer, Zion-I, Lyrics Born, Chali 2na, the Dodo’s, and Liz Phair.

THOMAS HJORTH
Thomas Hjorth is a Danish born award-win- ning musician, music producer, singer, song- writer, and multi-instrumentalist. His main instrument being the guitar, Mr. Hjorth spe- cializes in creating soundscapes and enhancing the songs with his expertise on effects and sound, which have made his voice as guitarist and producer unique and renowned world- wide. He was awarded Best Artist of 2014 by U&I Magazine and Fourculture Magazine, and was the Artist of the Year 2012 at Artists In Music Awards. He was featured on KCRW as Today’s Top Tune for The Controversy’s single “Two Voices” and he was the winner of Best Alternative Song of 2012 for his sin- gle “Real” at the Hollywood Music and Media Awards. Mr. Hjorth is also a touring musician who plays unique instruments and ensemble, such as the Aquatar and with the Earth Harp Collective.

RICH SHERWOOD
Richard Sherwood has been drumming since he discovered you can bang on pots and pans. He began taking drum lessons at age 10, which continued through to his earning a bachelor of arts in jazz perfor- mance at Sonoma State University. He began experimenting with electronic percus- sion and playing melodies on tuned elec- tronic pads in college. He went on to perform, record, and tour with a vast array of artists, always on the lookout for something unique and powerful. He met William Close in 2002 through an impromptu percussion jam on a park bench. Besides performing, Mr. Sherwood is becoming more involved in composition and music production.

SHAWN BARRY
Shawn Barry is a multi-instrumentalist who has been collaborating with William Close and the Earth harp Collective for the past 10 years. Traveling the world making music and inspiring people has been a passion as Shawn has also produced and performed with artists ranging from EDM stars Tiesto and MIA to reggae legends Steel Pulse and pop star Jason Mraz. Recently Shawn started playing a new instrument designed by William Close called “The Electro Bass Shield“, a trigger-based instrument utilizing Shawn’s drumming and percussion skills matched with melodic musicality to provide the low end bass to support the new Earth Harp sound. Along with the Earth Harp Collective, Shawn is producing and writing music for the world famous Circus troop Lucent Dossier.

MORGAN SORNE
Morgan Sorne is a multi-dimensional enigma. A prolific visual artist, musician, actor and filmmaker, boasting a four octave vocal range with perfect pitch. He brings listeners to tears with his unparalleled hypnotic angelic falsetto, and has churned crowds into a rocking frenzy with his bone-rattling dynamicism and range. He has performed and played at some of the most prestigious venues in America, winning over the hearts and minds of audiences at Irving Plaza in New York, the legendary Fillmore Theatre in San Francisco and the Fonda Theater in Los Angeles.

JEFFREY VINCENT PARISE
JEFF HAS BEEN A KEY PART OF THE EXTENDED PERCUSSION TEAM THAT EXPLORES ALL THE WILD PERCUSSION CREATED BY WILLIAM CLOSE for EHC! JEFF HAS BROUGHT HIS POWERFUL PRESENCE TO THE STAGE AND THE MUSIC.
JEFF PARISES IS AN ACCOMPLISHED FILM AND TELEVISION ACTO. HE IS ALSO WELL KNOWN FOR HIS POWERFUL OIL PAINTINGS AND LARGE SCALE PORTRAITS.
JEFF IS TRULY AN INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTIST! HE FITS PERFECTLY INTO THE EARTH HARP COLLECTIVE

MAGNUS FEINES
Magnus Fiennes is an English composer, record producer and songwriter.
He has worked with artists such as Shakira, Pulp, Tom Jones and Morcheeba. In 1997 he produced All Saints million selling single "Never Ever", which reached number 4 on the US charts and number 1 throughout Europe; producing and co-writing on their eponymous 5 million selling album.
He composed and produced much of the two multi-million selling albums from the girl quartet Bond. He has composed several major film scores, numerous commercials and TV series, including many seasons of leading BBC dramas such as Hustle, Murphy's Law, and Death in Paradise. He also created developed and produced the $20 million animated cartoon series Freefonix.
Magnus has recently been working with William to created new compositions for the Earth Harp. He is also producing tracks for the Earh Harp Collective. Magnus and William have been developing music for an orchestra of Earth Harps!
Performing Arts Centers / Concert Halls / Museums
WCEHC HAVE PERFORMED IN NUMEROUS THEATERS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. From the Grand Theater in Shanghai to the Kennedy Center to the Miller Performing Arts complex in Houston. William and his team have recently been selling out, even over selling many of the theaters they are booked in. The PAC/concert hall is a perfect environment for the Earth Harp. The audience has a new experience of music as the are surrounded by the lush harmonics of the strings.
MUSIC FESTIVALS, INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVALS
WCEHC HAS CREATED AMAZING CONCERT EXPERIENCES FOR MANY FESTIVALS AROUND THE WORLD! - SINGAPORE NIGHT FESTIVAL - ROMES NOTTE BIANCA - SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL - BURNING MAN FESTIVAL - L.I.B.FESTIVAL- COACHELLA MUSIC FESTIVAL
SPECIAL EVENTS / CORPORATE EVENTS / CORPORATE COLLABORATIONS
WILLIAM CLOSE HAS BEEN CREATING INNOVATIVE MUSICAL EXPERIENCES IN THE PRIVATE EVENT MARKET FOR OVER 20 YEARS! HE HAS WORKED WITH MAJOR CORPORATIONS TO DELIVER A POWERFUL, HIGH CLASS, MUSICAL COMPONENT THAT HELPS DELIVER THE THEMES AND MESSAGE OF THE EVENT. THE COMBINATION OF AN AWESOME CONCERT AND A FASCINATING LECTURE COMPONENT ALWAYS REACHES THE HEARTS AND THE INTELLECT OF THE MOMENT. WILLIAM AND HIS TEAM HAVE BEEN AN INTEGRAL PART OF OF MANY OPENING & CLOSING SESSIONS, COCKTAIL AND DINNER CONCERTS, AS WELL AS CREATING SOUND TRACKS PERFORMED LIVE FOR SPECIFIC THEATRICAL CONTENT AND VIDEOS. WCEHC HAS AN EXCELLENT UNDERSTANDING OF THE EVENT WORLD.
HOLIDAY CONCERT EXPRIENCE -CATHEDRALS, CHURCHES, SACRED SPACES
THE EARTH HARP IS A PERFECT INSTRUMENT TO CAPPTURE THE MAGIC AND MYSTERY OF HOLIDAY AND OTHER SACRED MUSIC. EHC VOCALIST RAFE PEARLMAN HAS STUDIED AND IS A MASTER VOCALIST FOR SACRED MUSIC AND THE TRADITIONAL BEAUTY OF HOLIDAY CLASSICS. THE EARTH HARP COLLECTIVE HOLIDAY PERFORMANCES TRULY CELEBRATE THE SPLENDOR AND WONDER OF THE SEASON!!
LEC/DEM- WORKSHOP PDF
SONIC ODYSSEY - THEATRICAL CONCERT - PRODUCTION SHOW
IN 2015 WILLIAM AND HIS WIFE SARAH DEVELOPED A SHOW CONCEPT FOR ROYAL CARIBBEAN'S FLAG SHIP "QUANTUM". WORKING WITH ROYAL AND BEHIND THE RADAR, WILLIAM DEVELOPED THE SHOW AND IT IS NOW RUNNING ON THE SHIP FOR THE NEXT 8 YEARS. WILLIAM TRAINED THE ORIGINAL CAST TO PLAY HIS MUSICAL INVENTIONS.
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PRESS LINKS, ARTISTS PHOTOS AND PAINTINGS
PBS SOCAL FEATURE
NY TIMES SCIENCE
PBS NEWS HOUR
VICE / NOISEY
BBC - CANADA
BBC - ASIA
PUSHING STRINGS
LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE
SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES
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