HIGHLAND- Joseph Bertolozzi’s Bridge Music, a unique sound-art installation featuring the Mid-Hudson Bridge itself as the instrument, is marking 15 years since its debut.
The public is invited to access the music via the listening stations, located along the bridge’s pedestrian walkway, which were reopened on April 1 and are available through the end of October. Bridge Music contains no other tones than those of the bridge itself, created by sampling the sounds of the bridge’s surfaces (guard rails, girders, etc.) with various mallets. It is a sister project with Bertolozzi’s Tower Music, created on the Eiffel Tower in 2016.
“It’s hard to believe Bridge Music has been in operation since 2009,” Bertolozzi said. “We have reanimated the audio experience with the addition of brand-new speakers last year for a fresh, crisp new sound. I think listeners will appreciate encountering this new audio adventure along with the river views from the Mid-Hudson Bridge.”
Listening stations are located on the bridge’s towers. The Mid-Hudson Bridge’s pedestrian walkway can be accessed on the Poughkeepsie side from Gerald Drive (off Rinaldi Boulevard) and on the Highland side from Johnson-Iorio Park on Haviland Road. Street signs are also located near the bridge to direct patrons to the listening stations. In addition, a 24/7 radio broadcast transmits on 95.3FM from the parks flanking the bridge (Waryas Park in Poughkeepsie and Johnson-Iorio Park in Highland).
“Bridge Music has been a beloved feature of the Mid-Hudson Bridge since it debuted in 2009,” said Dr. Minosca Alcantara, executive director of the New York State Bridge Authority. “Thanks to Joseph Bertolozzi’s creativity, the Mid-Hudson Bridge became not just an important piece of infrastructure, but also one of the largest ‘musical instruments’ in the world.”
