Circle Map at Park Avenue Armory

Park Avenue Armory will present Circle Map, two evenings of immersive spatial works by internationally acclaimed Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho performed by the New York Philharmonic under the baton of its Marie-Josée Kravis Composer-in-Residence Esa-Pekka Salonen on October 13 and 14, 2016. Conceived by Pierre Audi to take full advantage of the Wade Thompson Drill Hall, the engagement marks the orchestra’s first performance at the Armory since 2012’s Philharmonic 360, the acclaimed spatial music program co-produced by the Armory and Philharmonic.

A program of four ambitious works that require a massive, open space for their full realization, Circle Map will utilize the vast drill hall in an immersive presentation that continually shifts the relationship between performers and audience. The staging will place the orchestra at the center of the hall, with audience members in a half-round seating arrangement and performances taking place throughout. Longtime Saariaho collaborator Jean-Baptiste Barrière will translate the composer’s soundscapes into projections that include interpretations of literary and visual artworks from which inspiration for specific compositions are drawn.