Tribute to John Cage

The event dedicated to the late composer is being organized together with Polish Radio 2.

At 4.33 p.m. it will air Cage’s piece Aria (Fontana Mix), which will be ‘re-broadcast’ into the main public space of Lublin via radio receivers brought by the city residents.

The timing of the event refers to Cage’s composition entitled 4’33’’, which lasts four minutes and thirty three seconds, during which time not a single note is played. The work, premiered in 1952, became one of the most controversial compositions of the last century.

A group of Lublin artists is planning a series of events devoted to the diverse legacy of John Cage over the next twelve months, to culminate in September 2012, the 100th anniversary of his birth.

The artists have approached many foreign artists who have had contact with John Cage at various stages of his career to take part in the project. They include Yoko Ono, who remained under the influence of Cage’s philosophy of art.

Cage was a pioneer of electronic music and non-standard use of musical instruments. He was also known as an expert on mushrooms. He died in 1992, aged eighty. (mk)