Transforming the sounds animals make into music was the concept which unified the Toronto Zoo and Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The two have joined forces to produce a digital concert at the zoo itself.
As Canadian site Global News reports, the performance — dubbed Zoophony — will be filmed at the zoo and a recording will be released to schools on Nov. 22.
Dolf DeJong, the CEO of the Toronto Zoo says the partnership came about after the two organizations brainstormed ways in which they could serve the community during the pandemic. He also said that the zoo and the orchestra wanted to reach students who may need new ways to connect with nature.
Double bassists Tim Dawson and Paul Rogers say one of the concert’s songs, which was written by Rogers’ son, was inspired by Masai giraffes at the zoo. In one section, the music mimics the low humming tones that giraffes make when they gather together at night.
Rogers and Dawson already played a sample of the music at the Toronto Zoo, after which Rogers noted that they have “never done anything like this,” and that it turned out to be a lot of fun.
DeJong said the Toronto Zoo looks forward to continuing its work with the orchestra to find new and creative ways to serve the community.
“The arts are such a powerful and important way to connect people with nature and nature needs all the help that it can get,” he said.
