Expanded Piano II

Visual Architecture for Sound

In June 2024, Stavros Gasparatos premiered his new work Expanded Piano II at the GNO Alternative Stage of the SNFCC in Athens, building on his long-standing artistic exploration of the piano as an expanded instrument.

For this project, I developed the visual and spatial concept, including the stage design, the video projections, and the live video programming. My work shaped the visual identity and temporal rhythm of the performance, creating a scenographic dialogue between light, moving image, and the sonic landscape.

Reimagining the instrument through image, code & space

The performance revisited the mechanical theory of the prepared piano, extending it through hybrid forms and sensory layering. A decade after the first Expanded Piano premiered at EMPAC in New York, Expanded Piano II brought new dimensions to Gasparatos’ research—integrating projected visuals that responded to and reshaped the acoustic space in real time.

By designing the video content in close relation to the live score, and ensuring its responsiveness during performance, I contributed to a multi-layered and immersive environment that challenged traditional boundaries between sound, instrument, and stage.

Credits

Concept, research, composition: Stavros Gasparatos

Stage & visual design, video concept, content & live programming: Manuela Hartel

Piano mechanic, programming: Panos Tsigkos

Graphic design: Sofia Terezaki

Recordings: Studio 1-2-3

Production planning: Konstantinos Sakkas

Production management & executive producer: Delta Pi Productions & Arts Management