Bridge Authority announces ‘Bridge Music’ anniversary celebrations

HIGHLAND — The public will be able to experience the Mid-Hudson Bridge in a special way this summer. The New York State Bridge Authority (NYSBA) announced the 10th anniversary celebrations for Joseph Bertolozzi’s “Bridge Music” project on Aug. 3, as well as the completion of new historic interpretive panels on the bridge’s pedestrian path.

“Bridge Music” is a public sound art installation at the Mid-Hudson Bridge. The project is the brainchild of Hudson Valley-based composer and musician Joseph Bertolozzi and was unveiled during the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial commemoration in 2009. A decade ago, Bertolozzi recorded sounds of the bridge’s structure, such as its girders and railings, then arranged it into a unique piece of music. Bertolozzi has since gone on to “play” the Eiffel Tower, creating “Tower Music” in 2016. “Bridge Music” and “Tower Music” would respectively reach #18 and #16 on the Billboard Classical Crossover Chart.

Aug. 3 will feature a day of festivities at multiple locations to celebrate this groundbreaking musical project. The following free events will be taking place that day:

2 p.m. – Re-Dedication and Tour of the “Bridge Music” Installation with Composer Joseph Bertolozzi Johnson-Iorio Park, 281 Haviland Road, Highland. The program will feature a re-dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony, followed by a tour led by Bertolozzi out to the Listening Station on the west tower of the Bridge. The public will even have the chance to “play along” to the music with supplied drumsticks.

5:30 p.m. – “Bridge Music” in Film & Print Vassar Temple, 140 Hooker Ave., Poughkeepsie. Screenings, commentary, and Q&A examining films and books about Bridge Music with Joseph Bertolozzi, the filmmakers themselves, and music professionals providing context to Bridge Music’s place in music history. Screen & projection are courtesy of Story Screen.

9 p.m. – The “Bridge Music” Light Show Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, East and West Entrances will both be open. Tune in to Q92.1 FM either along the shores near the Mid-Hudson Bridge and watch the lights on the bridge change color and pulse to the rhythms of “Bridge Music.” For the best viewing experience, the public is invited to join the broadcast and viewing party in the center of the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, offering a commanding view of the Mid-Hudson Bridge and its necklace lights.