The Bionic Harpist^US/QC

As The Bionic Harpist, Alex Tibbitts presents us with a symbiotic dance between her instrument, the human and the digital, constructing a contemporary metaphor made even more relevant by the fact that half of her body contains metal.

Tibbitts comes from the classical and orchestral world, and is also a member of the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology (CIRMMT) at McGill University since 2016. Along with other musicians, Tibbitts founded the Ensemble ILÉA, dedicated to impro electroacoustics, and has participated in the writing of academic articles. More recently she joined Porto Porto, an experimental multimedia ensemble that fuseshardware, voice and Tibbitts' intervened harp.

The Bionic Harpist is the result of a 4-week residency at the Avatar Arts Center in Quebec, in collaboration with MUTEK Montreal. Together with musician, technologist, and digital luthier John Sullivan, Tibbitts created a bionic harp designed to experiment with tactile technology for a compelling visual and physical performance.

What began as an exploratory investigation of gesture, sound and interpretation of the electroacoustic harp is now a project that experiments and develops hardware to augment the possibilities of the concert harp. Thus, The Bionic Harpist mixes the classic sounds of the harp with samples, loops and a visual content processor that allows her to modify sound and visual elements, resulting in an impressive audiovisual and electroacoustic performance that will melt hearts and minds right in the center of the Anahuacalli Museum during A/Visions 2.

Alex Tibbitts, who started the Bionic Harpist after a collaborative research project with musician, technologist and digital luthier John Sullivan, developed during their MUTEK-Avatar residency in August 2020.