The Scent of Light is a performance that explores the ways in which light can be interpreted via sound and scent composition to create a unique synesthetic experience. It is an invitation to break away from the mundane, transcend the boundaries of human perception, and explore our profound and intertwined sensory capabilities. The musical program is conceptually inspired by the “sound” of light, comprised of solo piano works by composers Simeon Ten Holt, Molly Joyce, and John Adams. The program integrates scents crafted specifically for this experience by Detroit-based Sfumato Fragrances, which intermingle throughout the space in harmony with the soundscape.
This immersive performance removes the performer-audience separation by seating audience members on stage in an asymmetrical geometric formation surrounding the piano. Audience members enter the performance space greeted by a room fragrance functioning as the base notes of the program-specific custom scent. As each musical work is performed on the program, a corresponding scent pairing is layered on top of the base notes, culminating in a fully realized three-layer fragrance by the end of the experience. ‘Natalon in E’ the substantive is a five-movement minimalist-romantic work composed in 1979-1980 by Simeon Ten Holt and is an aural representation of chiaroscuro (light and shadow).
The Scent of Light was premiered to a sold-out audience at Wasserman Projects gallery in Detroit’s Eastern Market on May 6, 2022.
Justin Snyder has worked with artists from many diverse mediums, including collaborations with dancers, poets, performance artists, fashion designers, filmmakers, visual art software engineers, and laser artists. An advocate of new music, he has worked with composers such as Libby Larsen, Paul Schoenfield, Jonathan Dove, David Biedenbender, Kelly Moran, Evan Ziporyn, William Bolcom, Jake Heggie, Molly Joyce, John Musto, Tucker Fuller, and Mohammed Fairouz.
Some of the venues Justin has performed at include The Kennedy Center, Wigmore Hall, the United States Supreme Court, The Tank (New York), the Barbican Main Hall and Barbican Pit, the TED conference stage, the Detroit Institute of Arts, Trinosophes, The Cube at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Mori + Stein Gallery (London), Panoply Lab (New York), The Horse Hospital, Sadler’s Wells (in performance with Pina Bausch Tanztheater Wuppertal), City University New York, the Marigny Opera House (New Orleans), the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery (for the 50th Anniversary of the National Endowment for the Arts), Harvard University, the Mexican Cultural Institute (D.C.), Teatro del Lago (Chile), Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (Beijing), Shanghai Concert Hall, Zaha Hadid’s Guangzhou Opera House, and the National Center for the Performing Arts (Beijing).
Justin studied with Christopher Harding and with Martin Katz at the University of Michigan and completed his second masters degree at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London with Pamela Lidiard and Graham Johnson. Justin is currently on faculty at the Faber Piano Institute in Ann Arbor.
Escforescent, formed by Irena Menk (former senior art editor at ELLE Magazine) and Justin Snyder, is an artistic endeavor born out of a desire to escape the ordinary and actualize new dimensions of perception. Escforescent explores the concept of synesthesia by developing multisensory projects with the fragrance market. Their focus is on immersive experiences via unique combinations of our various senses.
Sfumato Fragrances creates scents from trees, flowers, herbs, and spices. Sfumato’s preference for natural ingredients, over the synthetics prevalent in most modern scents, is philosophical. The complexity innate to natural materials offers subtlety and nuance.
In addition to niche fragrances, Sfumato also seeks the ties between fragrance, science, flavor, and experience through a range of collaborations with event directors, musicians, artists, chefs, and bartenders.
The creators of Sfumato Fragrances are Kevin Peterson and Jane Larson. Kevin is the nose of Sfumato, engaging olfactory skills honed in the culinary world. Jane is the eyes, using her background in art and design to create the visual aesthetic.
Composers in the crosshairs of our attention