"What thousands of bees might think upon hearing my trumpet, well, that will remain, at least for now, a sweet mystery," Francesco Cilione told Euronews.
ADVERTISEMENTIn "Dialogue for Trumpet and Ensemble of Bee Workers" Italian trumpetist Francesco Cilione duets on stage with unusual partners: 30,000 bees in a microphonic hive
The composition is a mix of ecological awareness — Cilione said he loves bees — and a real artistic experiment. The jazz musician from Vercelli, in north-western Italy, was in January granted a patent for his beehive which features side holes and microphones to better capture the sound emanating from inside.
The aim is to perform in schools to teach children about music but also respect for the environment.
The project was born at the home of one of Cilione's friends, Marco Calvo, a clarinetist and passionate beekeeper. The two musicians were intrigued by the musical quality of the beehive.
Particular attention has been brought to ensure the welfare of the bees.
"Since the beginning of the project, the family of bees exposed to the musical frequencies of the composition has always been the same," Cilione explained to Euronews.
"It is constantly monitored from different points of view: from the point of view of the development of the family itself, there has been a regular and constant development, and from the point of view of production, there has been a good performance. All to support how much exposure to sounds has brought a good contribution to the health of the sample taken into account," he added.
The trumpetist also heaps praise on his animal orchestra and describes their interaction as finely-tuned and the result of "natural empathic conditioning."
"But what thousands of bees might think upon hearing my trumpet, well, that will remain, at least for now, a sweet mystery," he added.
