Kaleidoscopic images of a pianist’s hands are interspersed with exaggerated shots of empty interiors. A flower emerges from a milky substance; another is submerged in violet water, its petals fleshy and viscous. The music moves from expansive to pointed; piano and electronics blend and contrast, creating satisfying articulations and sandpapery tension.
Thanks to the collaborative approach of pianist Ning Yu and composer David Bird, their music video for Iron Orchid embodies an organic seamlessness between sound, sound-producing tools, and visuals that is startlingly effective. This is a musical narrative that irritates as it mesmerizes, less balanced than enhanced and complementary, keeping the listener locked in to what could possibly come next.
The work’s origins began in 2019 with an interactive Echo Chamber collaboration between Bird, Ning, and public artist Mark Reigelman, which led to their 2021 album released on New Focus Recordings. Produced by Four/Ten Media, the Iron Orchid film is a continuation of what Ning describes as the “creative chemistry” that brought a performer, composer, and visual artist as they continue to find ways to transform the original material. (It’s also one of Ning’s favorite pieces to perform.)
Here’s what Bird had to say about Iron Orchid:
In developing the piece, Ning and I worked at Oktaven Audio in Mount Vernon, New York, experimenting with and recording sounds that evoked the sculpture and complemented the live piano part. The piece explores unconventional metallic resonances, which we aimed to capture through both the piano and various electronic techniques.
About Ning Yu
Praised by The New York Times for her “taut and impassioned performance,” pianist Ning Yu emerges as one of the most compelling voices in contemporary music. Her performances often explore works that call for external modifications to the instrument that expand and alter its timbral possibilities both mechanically and digitally. Ningʼs recent work includes close collaborations with composers Michael Beil, Brigitta Muntendorf, Aaron Einbond, Annea Lockwood, Heather Stebbins, and Alec Hall. Her performances have been presented at venues and festivals including Time:Spans Festival, Third Practice Festival, Sounds of Music Festival, Frequency Festival, Lincoln Center, EMPAC, National Sawdust, amongst others.
Ning was a longtime member of the acclaimed ensemble Yarn/Wire, as well as the pianist for Mabou Mines’ Dollhouse—the OBIE-winning theater production directed by legendary director Lee Breuer. As a soloist and chamber musician, she has recorded over two dozen albums for Kairos, Wergo, Carrier, and others. Ning was awarded the Yvar Mikhashoff Prize in 2024 for her performances and advocacy for living composers. She is Associate Professor of Piano and Chamber Music at George Washington University.
About David Bird
David Bird is a composer, producer, and multimedia artist who explores the dramatic potential of electroacoustic and multimedia environments. His compositions have been performed at venues such as Walt Disney Concert Hall and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and at festivals including the Gaudeamus Festival, Wien Modern, Donaueschinger Musiktage, and the MATA Festival. His work has received praise from outlets such as The New York Times, The Wire, Textura, and Best of Bandcamp. He is the recipient of a 2021 Fromm Music Foundation Commission from Harvard University, the 2021 Cultural Foundation Schloss Wiepersdorf Fellowship, a 2018 Austrian Federal Chancellery / KulturKontakt Austria Artist Residency, the 2018 Giga-Hertz Award (Honorable Mention), the 2016 BMI Student Composer Award, and a 2016 Gaudeamus Award nomination. Bird currently serves as Assistant Professor of Music Technology and Digital Media at the University of Notre Dame.
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