Creative Projects
Interdisciplinary events curated by Natalie Boberg
Olivier Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time
A vivid performance where sound and color intertwine to illuminate the composer’s visionary masterpiece.
Collaborators - Liam Cameron, Clarinet | Calvin Kung, Cello | Lior David, Piano
Written between 1940–41 while Olivier Messiaen was held as a prisoner of war, Quartet for the End of Time was created for the fellow inmates he met in captivity—a violinist, cellist, clarinetist, and pianist. This monumental work, premiered in Görlitz, Germany, unfolds in eight movements inspired by a passage from the Book of Revelation, reflecting Messiaen’s deep spirituality and extraordinary resilience.
For this performance, I explored Messiaen’s unique synesthesia—his ability to hear colors in sound—and the vivid imagery embedded in the score. Sitting with a recording, pencil, and notebook, I documented every color that came to mind while listening, allowing me to bring a personal visual dimension to the music as I perform it. The result is a rendition that connects Messiaen’s extraordinary vision with my own interpretive journey.
Woven Tonalities
Woven Tonalities is an immersive concert exploring the intersection of musical textures and textiles.
The event features two installations: Textural Spaces and Infusing New Voices. Additionally, attendees receive a bag of textured goodies to enjoy throughout the concert and beyond.
Collaborators - Lisa Kraus, Katya Popova, and Elizabeth Kleiber
Textural Spaces
ten boxes, wire, tissue paper, cotton balls, plants, string, twine, reflective paper, balloon, burlap, hot glue, wood, watercolor, cardboard
Texture has always fascinated me in nature, fabrics, architecture, graphic design, and of course, music. This installation features 10 textured artifacts housed in small boxes, to physicalize the sonic textures of music. These artifacts explore the nuances of texture to realize the ways that music is deeply intertwined with our physical senses. Engage, explore, and question what kinds of textures you can hear.
Infusing New Voices
linen fabric, card stock tags, clothesline, clothes pins
This installation was born of my love for obscure repertoire- finding those pieces that very few people have heard of, and bringing them to life. For the last 7 years, I’ve spent many nights deep down the YouTube rabbit hole or listening to every album by my favorite artists. Through it, I have discovered many hidden gems of classical music. For an art form that has been around for hundreds of years, it’s amazing how we still manage to capitalize on the same pieces every season. Infusing New Voices is changing that by sharing works that you should know about! This is an ever-evolving list, check back often for updates. And, if you have a piece you want to see on the installation, drop me a note!
Link to the full list with recordings
Woven Tonalities
linen, felt, Leather, chiffon, velvet, cork, sequins, lace, burlap, minky dot, pom poms, button, acorn, maple fruit, and feather
These textured goody bags were the impetus for Woven Tonalities. My greatest musical influences and inspirations often reference textures in music- searching for the silky pull of the bow, the rough attack on an entrance, or tender expressiveness of a phrase. Through these bags of textiles and a carefully curated program, we find the intersection of musical and physical textures, engaging the senses of sound and touch.
