Symphony and Science: ‘Stealing for Birds’ to bring music and nature together in unique performance
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IDAHO FALLS — The arts and sciences are coming together for a special event aimed at helping Idahoans to connect with wildlife through music and natural sound.
The Idaho Falls Symphony and the Teton Raptor Center are partnering in the upcoming performance of “Stealing from Birds.” A joint news release from the organizations says the event will happen Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Frontier Center for the Performing Arts.
Violin soloist Holly Mulcahy says the idea for the piece came from an encounter along Idaho’s Snake River, when an American Bald Eagle was recorded chortling to its mate. Then Dan Perttu set to work composing the concerto, including scientific insights from Roger Smith, an expert at the Teton Raptor Center.
“This kind of collaboration can bring our community together in new ways, intersecting science, music, and nature, all set against the backdrop of the iconic Snake River and the Tetons,” Gabriella Roderer, the symphony’s co-interim executive director, said in the release.
“We are delighted to partner with Teton Raptor Center in this meeting of the arts and sciences in our very own eastern Idaho,” she added.
“Steaing from Birds” is described as an orchestral work in which “the solo violin acts as an interpreter of the natural world.” It includes five movement chapters — Dawn Chorus, The Canyon Whisper, Eagles Soar, Crows Dance, and Confluence — and its creators say it “translates raw biological soundscapes into a unified symphonic narrative.”
Mulcahy will join the Idaho Falls Symphony as a guest performer for the Nov. 21 concert.
Prior to the performance on Nov. 21, several activities are planned to bring the scientific and musical communities together, including:
- A live raptor visit to the lobby, alongside an interactive education station with kid-friendly activities, courtesy of the Teton Raptor Center – 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- A Hawk Talk presentation from Teton Raptor Center – 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
- A panel discussion covering the program pieces, featuring guest conductor Danko Druško, Mulcahy and Perttu – 6:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“By bringing scientists and musicians into the same room, we offer our community a completely new lens,” Mulcahy said in the release. “‘Stealing from Birds’ is about listening to the world around us with fresh ears and celebrating the wild inspiration right in our backyard.”
Tickets for “Stealing for Birds” are available on the official websites of the Idaho Falls Symphony and the Teton Raptor Center.