Most concerts take place on a stage, however, a live classical piano concert and outdoor experience is coming to Jackson this week.
In the Landscape: Classical Music in the Wild is a concert where attendees can explore the outdoors while listening to live classical music from a Steinway grand piano.
The piano is transported to different landscapes and parks and guests receive a pair of wireless headphones where they can listen to the concert live while exploring the area and enjoying the landscapes.
The concerts are composed of piano music that sounds like a soundtrack to the outdoors. The pieces are a mix of both classical and contemporary music featuring pieces from the 18th century, up to pieces written a few years ago.
“It appeals to people that aren’t necessarily classical music lovers but are interested in experiencing beautiful music in beautiful places,” said Hunter Noack, the concert’s pianist and artistic director.
There are a pair of concerts in the area this week. The first is Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the headwaters of the Teton River and the second is Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the Woodbury Preserve in Jackson, Wyoming. You can buy tickets at inalandscape.org.
Portions of ticket sales at the Jackson concert will help support the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation, which works to advance wildlife conservation.
“Our goal is to not only provide this experience at the Woodbury preserve, but also to call attention to the good work the local community is already doing, so that the people who are from there have a chance to learn a little more about the wildlife foundation if they aren’t familiar, and for the tourists who are coming to the show, they also have a chance to get involved or participate from afar,” Noack said.
In each location, the concert often partners with different stewardship organizations.
The concert was inspired by the Works Progress Administration that provided thousands of free music and theatre experiences and many were performed in public lands in the 1930s.
“I love that it brought the fine arts out of the spaces that can sometimes feel restrictive or restrictive, like our concert halls, and into what I believe are our most democratic spaces which are our public lands and our parks,” Noack said.
These concerts are part of a 55-concert tour with locations across the western United States and parts of Canada.