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Sejong Soloists released the second series of the Stradivarius Violin “Cobbett” NFT collection on December 27, 2022. This series follows in the style of the first, blending the highest quality performances of classical masterpieces with stunning new visual artwork. These NFTs are the result of the continued collaboration between the internationally-acclaimed chamber orchestra Sejong Soloists and AI Network.
This new collection of 350 NFTs, “Cobbett” No. 2, centers on a staple of the classical musical repertoire, the Fugue from Bach’s Solo Violin Sonata No. 1 in G minor. This release features performance by Sejong Soloists violinist Stephen Kim, production by six-time Grammy-winning producer and engineer Da-Hong Seetoo, and artwork by multi-faceted artist and musician Amy Kang. Kang’s artwork for this series is based on – and interactive with – the music of each NFT.
The “Cobbett” No. 2 NFT collection, named for the famous “Cobbett” Stradivarius violin, comes in three tiers: Maestro, Virtuoso, and Prodigy. The Maestro tier is a recording of the Fugue by violinist Stephen Kim on the “Cobbett” violin from which this series gets its name. The music forms a symbiotic relationship with Amy Kang’s art pieces: as the music plays, the artwork develops in tandem, and the result is a beautiful, syncretic, and distinctive piece of multi-medium art.
As in the Maestro tier, the Virtuoso tier NFT features the Fugue as performed by Kim with artwork by Kang, but in shorter form. “The Maestro and Virtuoso pieces are visual representations of the Bach Solo Violin Sonata No. 1 in G minor, Fugue. I use color as the language to bridge the worlds of art and music together,” said Amy Kang.
With the Prodigy tier, the artist listened to the AI-generated music and created a “color score” for the notes using a similar color system, assigning a different color to each note. The color of the stripe or square indicates the pitch, and the width and size represent the length of the note. Each color is selected specifically for the note that it represents. The AI sound models developed by POZA Labs, an AI music company in South Korea, utilize the artificial intelligence model used in the area of natural language processing (NLP) and are created from the AI’s analysis of Bach’s Fugue. The resulting computerized violin performances which appear in this tier are in the style of the Fugue.
“Partnering with AI companies gives Sejong Soloists the opportunity to expand the classical music community in new ways, building on its history of community development in art music through cutting edge technology. By creating NFTs, we can give our audience a unique memento that also helps keep them connected to the larger ecosystem of music-lovers,” said Kyung Kang, Creative and Executive Director of Sejong Soloists.
These NFTs have been made available with the support of POZA Labs, The Only Moments and Rare Violins of New York.
Follow the NFT Classics Society on Twitter (@nftclassic_soc) or Discord. For more information on the “Cobbett” NFT and the NFT Classics Society, visit https://www.nftclassicsociety.ai/.
ABOUT NFT CLASSICS SOCIETY
NFT Classics Society (NCS) is a digital community for classical music. NCS was created by AI Network, Sejong Soloists and The Only Moments, and plans to release a series of classical music NFTs.
ABOUT AI NETWORK
AI Network is a blockchain-based, cloud computing architecture for the internet and is collaborative for AI. Through a decentralized cloud infrastructure, AI Network turns open source projects into live services. This incentivizes the creation and utilization of innovative programs globally.
Sejong Soloists has performed internationally on the world’s major stages, and in U.S. venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center at their invitation. Since its inception 28 years ago, the orchestra has performed 600 concerts in more than 120 cities around the world. Sejong Soloists served as the Honorary Ambassador of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games and ensemble-in-residence at the Aspen Music Festival for nine seasons.
From 2004 through 2010 Sejong Soloists played a leading role in the creation and development of the Great Mountains International Music Festival (now Music in PyeongChang). Sejong Soloists also strives to cultivate future generations of performers and is committed to advancing the artistry and leadership of its musicians. Current and former Sejong members such as concertmasters of the New York Philharmonic, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Montreal Symphony, and Hamburg National Philharmonic Orchestra continue to perform as ensemble members worldwide.
Sejong Soloists was established as a string orchestra in New York in 1994, consisting of eleven young international artists invited by Hyo Kang, Professor of Violin from the Juilliard School. Sejong Soloists has ventured and grown with bold performances and repertoires ranging from chamber music to symphony orchestra, to collaborations with eclectic soloists.
American violinist Stephen Kim is continually praised for his originality and honest performances. Stephen gained international recognition most recently winning the third prize at the 2019 Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition. In 2020, he made his Carnegie Hall debut performing with the Juilliard Orchestra. He also was the first violinist in the history of the Aspen Music Festival to win all three violin competitions in 2014, 2013 and 2011. Stephen holds a Bachelor of Music from the Curtis Institute of Music, Master of Music from the Juilliard School, and is currently pursuing Professional Studies at the Kronberg Academy in Germany.
ABOUT AMY KANG
Amy Kang is a professional cellist and painter based in New York City. Her work often involves visual representations of classical music as well as elements of aleatory. Her first solo exhibition appeared at The Arts Club of Washington (D.C.) and has been followed by a solo exhibition at Studio Kki (Paju, South Korea), a group exhibition at HNH Gallery (New York), and a Solo exhibition at Gallery Jung (Seoul, South Korea). Amy studied cello privately with renowned cellist Fred Sherry, studied painting at the esteemed L’Ecole Marchutz in Aix-en-Provence, France, and holds a BA in English Literature from Columbia University.
Six-time Grammy winner Da-Hong Seetoo has emerged as one of a handful of elite audio engineers, using his own custom-designed microphones, monitor speakers, and computer software. His recent clients include the Emerson, Miró, and Tokyo String Quartets, the Beaux Arts Trio, pianists Daniel Barenboim and Christopher O’Reilly, violinist Gil Shaham, the Singapore and Taipei Symphony Orchestras, and David Finckel and Wu Han for the ArtistLed label.
ABOUT THE COBBETT, a violin by Antonio Stradivari, Cremona, 1683
Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737) is the most celebrated violin maker of all time. Working in the small northern Italian city of Cremona, he left an unsurpassable legacy. The “Cobbett” Stradivarius is crafted on a grand pattern with measurements that are very similar to large-form instruments made during his golden period. The tone is vibrant and silky with tremendous carrying power. Named after a previous owner, English amateur violinist and author on chamber music, Walter Wilson Cobbett, the violin is on generous loan to Sejong Soloists.
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