Organist Cameron Carpenter takes Bach to Berlin seniors
BERLIN (Reuters) - Unable to play at the Berlin Philharmonic as planned, U.S. musician Cameron Carpenter has responded to coronavirus restrictions by putting his organ and some loudspeakers on a truck to play to seniors and care homes in the German capital.
Carpenter, who in 2009 became the first organist to be nominated for a Grammy Award for his solo album, 'Revolutionary', has lived in Berlin for 10 years and plans to play at locations across the city over several days.
"The idea is to share Germany's great composer J.S. Bach and to try to give a cultural service to the city of Berlin if possible," he said after drawing excited seniors onto their balconies with his music.
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"One of the jobs of art is to help us through times like this and so I guess that's what I see in music and hopefully others can get something like that out of it as well," he said.
"Back in the old world I would have been playing at Berlin Philharmonic tonight on my touring organ," he added.
"But these people wouldn't have been at Berlin Philharmonic tonight anyway and so it is nice to get to play for folks who ... don't get to take part in cultural life as much as might be desirable."
(Reporting by Reuters TV; Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
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