In the world of classical Music, tradition and innovation don’t frequently togethercoalesce for the fact that classical music has such deeply entrenched traditional roots, often still reflecting 19th century culture to this day. However, increasingly, innovation has begun to emerge as part of this art form in captivating ways that have revitalized and given new life to what may have once been considered”traditional.”. Multimedia integration has arisen as a revolutionary force that gives classical compositions new life in today’s fast-paced, visually-focused world. This relatively new and unique relationship between music and multimedia has come to have a significant effect on reaching out to contemporary audiences, especially ones not normally accustomed to going to classical music events.

There are now a number of orchestras (yet too few) and new music ensembles that have embraced the use of multimedia to a certain degree, such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the National Philharmonic Orchestra in Washington D.C., London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, as well as several mostly European contemporary music groups. However, under the inspirational direction of its Artistic Director and Conductor Peter Peyman Farzinpour, ENSEMBLE / PARALLAX is a trailblazer in this revolutionary movement. By creating original multimedia and video art for each piece of music it performs (an immensely challenging task not taken up by any other groups yet), this award-winning ensemble has led the way in integrating multimedia into classical concerts in a way that no other groups or orchestras have attempted yet. Their steadfast dedication to this avant-garde strategy distinguishes them as a standout force in the world of contemporary classical music.

The “necessity” for the use of multimedia in classical music is two-fold: the first is the need to grow and communicate with audiences in a way that connects with their contemporary sensibilities as the world today is increasingly driven by visual inputs. This is something pop and rock music audiences have known and become accustomed to now for decades. The audible and visual senses can be connected through multimedia, improving the emotional and intellectual impact and understanding of classical pieces. But the other, perhaps more inspiring “need”- or better stated, desire, for this intertwining of music and multimedia is the sheer excitement of developing something innovative and exciting on the part of the composers and artists, who are always trying to push the boundaries (ones which classical music audiences have sometimes been known to resist). To this end, ENSEMBLE / PARALLAX, from its founding in 2015 by Peyman Farzinpour, has demonstrated a passion and absolute dedication to fuse music with multimedia, thus always pushing boundaries, from the very initial concerts they performed.

Each performance is given new life thanks to their partnerships with international video artists, whom they encourage to submit works regularly for consideration for collaborations. When they come across an artist whose style might blend well with a given piece of music they’ve programmed, they invite the artist to create a new multimedia work for that specific piece (which in itself could be a commission by E/P, which it regularly does- hence, essentially creating a “double-commission and world premiere” in one shot). Thus, they introduce classical music to new audiences who might otherwise be unfamiliar by fusing live music with visual inspiration. One of the exciting factors for these concerts is that other than classical music audiences, they often attract audiences who are mainly interested in the visual arts, but who are then are captivated by the music as well.

While the use of multimedia is an expanding trend, it has been slow to catch on for several reasons – the budgetary requirements of such undertakings (which can be enormous, especially because they require extra rehearsals to blend the music and visuals), the opposition from staunch “traditionalists,” and sometimes simply by a mere lack of imagination on the parts of those in charge of programming the concerts. Other orchestras and contemporary music ensembles are becoming aware of the potential of this technique, but ParallaxENSEMBLE / PARALLAX is at the vanguard of this multimedia trend. It’s exciting that around the world, musicians and artists are collaborating more frequently to produce immersive multimedia events that have a profound impact on audiences.

Peter Peyman Farzinpour and ENSEMBLE / PARALLAX have a large collection of works, which you may view on their YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/@ensembleparallax). You can have a glimpse of some of these compositions with their accompanying multimedia, an ethereal and powerful composition by Farzinpour himself titled Shrotavyasya, a haunting work by the Italian composer Patricia Alessandrini titled Nachtgewâchse, and a multimedia chamber opera by Farzinpour’s friend, composer Gabriele Vanoni, which E/P premiered in NYC, titled Island of Peoples.

To find out more about Peter Peyman Farzinpour and E/P, and the exciting and innovative works that have created, visit:

https://www.ensembleparallax.com/
https://www.peymanfarzinpour.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@ensembleparallax/videos