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Wednesday, August 22, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Classical pianist plays at Suttle Lodge
By Cody Rheault
Correspondent
When Hunter Noack takes
to the stage the scene is atypi-
cal. His platform is an open
flatbed trailer, his theater
containing no walls or tapes-
try. For the 29-year-old clas-
sically trained pianist, little
of what he does bears resem-
blance to modern classical
performance.
On his tour “In A
Landscape,” Noack performs
in some of Oregon’s most
remote locations.
The Sunriver native, on his
third annual tour, performed
at Suttle Lodge on August
15. More than 100 people
sat on the lawn to watch him
perform his classical selec-
tions while the sun set over a
smoky horizon and the waters
of Suttle Lake.
“In A Landscape” is the
culmination of two things
Noack loves most: nature and
classical music. His love for
nature came from immersing
himself in hunting, fishing,
camping, and backpacking
throughout Central Oregon.
At age four he started learn-
ing classical music on the
piano, which grew into a life-
long passion. Eventually his
love for music took him to
Guildhall School of Music &
Drama in London, England
where he graduated with a
master’s degree in classical
music.
After realizing how rare
the need for modern clas-
sical pianists is, he decided
to “make his own work” by
combining his love for music
and nature.
Noack was inspired
by the Works Progress
Administration and the
Federal Project Number One,
an initiative during the Great
Depression that employed
laborers, musicians, and
artists.
The idea of performing in
public lands as a way to bring
attention to them had intrigued
him for years, but it wasn’t
until his friend convinced him
to spend the money and give
it a try that it became a reality.
He quickly began to
develop a system of transport-
ing his nine-foot Steinway
piano and realized it would
be no small feat. But with the
help of his friends, he devel-
oped a system that would
make it portable. In transport,
the piano lies inside a foam
bed on its belly. By remov-
ing the piano legs it forms a
small, portable package fully
enclosed by foam and a water-
proof covering. At setup, they
utilize foot-powered hydraulic
lifts that lift the instrument up
and onto the legs. Towed on a
16-foot flatbed trailer, which
acts as the stage, too, they
have the versatility to perform
in remote locations.
Noack first started touring
in 2015. Steinway sponsored
his first piano but when he
presented the idea of taking it
to remote regions, his request
was denied for fear of the pia-
no’s well being. That’s when
Jordan Schnitzer of the Jordan
Schnitzer Family Foundation
purchased a 1912 nine-foot
Steinway piano for Noack to
perform with and continue his
vision to perform in Oregon’s
remote lands.
“I wanted the Steinway
because they are the best,”
Noack said.
The build of an older
model would mostly be done
with its natural contracting
and expanding, making it
more adaptable to the ele-
ments he would play in, he
explained. Noack said he
wanted the Steinway because
they are strong and durable.
He also noted that while a
few artists have taken smaller
PHOTO BY CODY RHEAULT
Hunter Noack creates an immersive blend of nature and classical music with unique performances in Oregon.
pianos into similar venues,
none have taken the same
size and model Steinway you
would see in Carnegie Hall.
Watching Noack perform
among nature is a spectacle;
one he describes as a dueling
“complexity between classical
music and nature.” The envi-
ronment he creates is a musi-
cal hall among the forests and
desert lands.
For spectators the expe-
rience is one-of-a-kind.
Attendees are encouraged to
participate by moving about
with supplied headsets, utiliz-
ing wireless audio frequencies
and microphones implanted
in the piano. With a clear and
precise sound broadcast from
the heart of the instrument,
people can hear a profession-
ally mixed sound free of back-
ground noise.
People are free to roam
and watch,” he said.
Hunter Noack will return
to Central Oregon at Smith
Rock State Park on September
5. For more information visit,
www.inalandscape.org or
www.hunternoack.com
— and encouraged to do so —
within 100 yards and explore
their surroundings, encounter-
ing what many describe as an
immersive experience.
“We encourage people to
move around, and not just sit
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