The Glass Orchestra formed in 1977 as a quartet whose instruments are made entirely of glass – a half ton of glass instruments of all shapes and sizes. Touring since the early 80’s, GO has had the privilege of representing this unique facet of Canadian culture to the world, performing in some of the finest concert halls and some of the funkiest artist spaces. The sounds of the Glass Orchestra can be heard in numerous film and television scores, from Hollywood productions to TV series to independent and art-based projects.
Throughout its documented history of over 2000 years, glass music has surfaced in many different cultures and in many different forms. Rick Sacks, Bill Parsons, Paul Hodge and Eric Cadesky, the musicians of the Glass Orchestra, carry on the long tradition of glass music by designing, building and playing their own instruments.
Drawing on a wide range of musical influences and performance techniques, the musicians explore the unique sonic properties of glass, creating an ethereal, percussive soundscape with a vast array of glass instruments, both “found” and custom made. The skill of the members of the Orchestra in designing and making glass instruments has earned them a place in the New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments.
The Glass Orchestra has appeared in major cities across Canada and has toured the United States from New York to Honolulu, and Europe from London to Berlin. In 1989, the ensemble completed an important seven-week tour of Asia, which took them to Taiwan, Macau, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Singapore, Japan, and the Shenzhen and Zhuhai International Arts Festivals in China. Because of the extremes of its dynamic and frequency ranges, glass music has always proved a challenge to record. The Glass Orchestra has released five commercial recordings, the most recent, titled Live From The Archive Volumes 1+2, is a collection of live works drawn from the extensive archive of the group’s history.