Jacinto was invited to propose a work on the bandstand of Praça de São Francisco in Ponta Delgada. Despite the Azores having a large number of philharmonic bands, the bandstand is mostly used during religious festivities and the square is otherwise left deserted most of the year.

Jacinto’s work is an installation, MEDUSA (REFLEXO), a nomadic instrumental and installation device designed to support a solo cello performance which incorporates specific sonic and architectural characteristics of the place where it is installed and performed. Addressing questions of site-specificity both in the installation setup, and the musical performance, this electroacoustic system aims for a “sonic transfiguration” of the cello´s body when in contact with the place hosting its performance.

For the sound installation – which remains as an echo of the performance – a steel tube structure is installed within the bandstand. Contact speakers are mounted to the tubes, making them resonate with sounds recorded during the performance. By amplifying the footprint of its space, the bandstand becomes simultaneously an architecture of sound and also a music box, a standalone, urban musical instrument.


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Materials: concert-installation for cello, electronics and steel pipes
Dimensions: variable