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03/08/08 |
          
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Arup's Acoustics and Theatre Team Collaborates with Artist for Whitney Biennial
A small team from Arup's award-winning acoustics, sound and theatre design team collaborated with artist and turntablist Marina Rosenfeld for a new sound art piece in the massive New York Armory. The unique piece, Teenage Lontano, was conceived for the Armory and had 35 teenagers melodically singing tones received from a mix provided to their headphones whilst above them, spinning at 33 1/3 rpm a huge speaker swung electronica into the huge hall. Jim Niesel and David Taylor, under the direction of Raj Patel and Production Manager, Mike Skinner created a design for the speaker and overhead support systems which we engineered, constructed by Bill and Mike Sapsis of Sapsis Rigging. Arup's head of Acoustics, Raj Patel supported the sound design and together with Niesel and sound designed Ryan Byzoriek enabled the complex art piece to be successfully realized by Marina in the 55.000 square foot Armory building. The art installation was performed in March 2008 as part of the Whitney Biennial and was funded by the Whitney Art Production Fund and their major contributors. Arup's SoundLab and Raj Patel's frequent contributions to sound art installations bring artists to Arup for support often.
Shiamak's "I Believe" opens to great acclaim and First Minister's party
"This was one of the most gracious and inspiring production teams I have ever worked with", said Taylor, "and Shiamak and the dancers were unfeasibly exact and creative. It was a truly amazing experience for both Joe and I and one which changed our view of culture, dance and technology". First night included a special ceremony including the First Minister and other dignitaries and celebrities. Taylor and Chapman used Jands Vista4, Martin MAC's, Robe and Clay Paky moving lights, SGM Led washes, Pandora's Box and Barco video projectors, Stark DMX projectors for the auditorium and an RGB DMX air-cooled laser on stage. Alex Muir from Jands provided support during the final production period. You can see images from the Shiamak Spectacular here SHIAMAK
LDI edition of Live Design has article on future theatre Penton-published Live Design's November edition has a thorough article continue David Taylor's discussion of creating sustainable performance venues for the generations of the future.
The piece coincided with Taylor's chairing of an LDI panel on Future Networking of Theatres. A panel of theatre luminaries discussed wired and wireless networking for performance venues before a full audience at the Orange County Convention Center. LIVE DESIGN
Taylor and Chapman choose Jands Vista 4 for "I Believe"
Taylor and Chapman are pre-visualizing the show in WYSIWYG Perform running on Macbook Pros under VM Fusion, with Vista App under windows (running the sound clips to WYG) and under native Mac OsX. It works - and Steve Irwin is a genius!
Article in Lighting and Sound America on Modern Linnebach Projectors
In a production that used technology from the 21st Century – WYSIWYG, Obsession and quiet Wybron Scrollers on much of the key rig elements – it was sobering and uplifting to find effective lighting solutions in low-tech nineteenth Century projector ingenuity. Our forefathers have always done things cleverly before us!
Taylor and Chapman join "I Believe" creative team for November debut
New articles in Live Design and Protocol
In addition a follow-up to the summer 2006 Protocol article about large scale networking is published in the Spring edition of ESTA's Protocol trade journal. (The article was a response to a note from Sonny Sonnenfeld's asking that the large scale convergence issue was discussed in the context of smaller installations and buildings). www.ESTA.org
David Taylor joins Arup to lead performing arts sector
"It's an excellent fit for both Arup and David," said Neill Woodger, principal and leader of the Arup Acoustics practice in the Americas. "He has worked with Arup for more than 20 years on key arts projects around the world. His expertise in theatre planning and design brings an important skill set to our practice, augmenting our existing acoustics, lighting, simulation, venue consulting and engineering disciplines and allowing us to provide a complete and integrated package of services to performing arts clients." "There is an unrivalled experience and knowledge base of creative design and engineering within Arup, and I am tremendously excited to lead the firm's work on innovative solutions for a diverse body of performing arts clients," Taylor said. Arup can be found at Arup and the performing arts sector at Arup PA Taylor worked with Arup on the Cerritos Performing Arts Center, the award winning Wieden and Kennedy theatre and the new performing arts centre for Kansas City, amongst many other great projects. Email for David's new contact details.
New articles in PLSN, Protocol and Focus magazines
Taylor contributes to articles in Urban Land and Auditoria
Taylor is also quoted in regards to the history of adjustable acoustic drapery in the April '06 edition of Auditoria magazine.
 The world's leading niche conservatory of music - Michael Tilson Thomas's New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida - were featured in the May 25th edition of Newsweek, as part of the Enterprise feature. David Taylor is Executive Theatre Consultant for the New World Symphony's new campus expansion project, designed by Frank Gehry. The article discussed the leadership role NWS plays in arts use of the ultra-broadband Internet 2 and mentions the new facility. Adrian Campo-Flores writes, "In 2000, NWS became the first orchestral institution to join the Internet2 consortium-a group of more than 300 universities, government agencies and corporations. But NWS is just getting started, says Michael Tilson Thomas, who founded the academy in 1987 and is also the music director of the San Francisco Symphony. Internet2 will be integrated into NWS's new music lab and performance space, due to be unveiled in 2010". You can read the article here Newsweek.
Alternative Career Panel for USITT Conference in Kentucky
Taylor Previews New Gehry
Symphony Facility
Other sessions covered Lighting, Audio and DVTS, along with network diagnostics were presented, plus two Internet 2 Master Classes – one from Rome, Italy and another from Cleveland Institute of Music, another TPC client which is soon to be connecting via new Distance Learning Studios and Recital Hall programmed and designed by Theatre Projects.
Great Reviews for Lucia di Lammermoor at Lyric Opera of Kansas City
Production shots of the opera can
be seen here Production Shots
David's ALD for the production was Nick Mosher. Nick's website is here Mosher Design David Taylor has provided lighting designs for a number of modern and classic operas. He was part of the team that created Stowe Opera and has designed operas in London, New York and Edinburgh.
David Taylor teaching at UConn
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This site was last updated 03/08/08
Collaborating with
producer Glen D'Mello and leading choreographer and performer, Shiamak Davar,
along with lighting designer Ronnie Fraser, David Taylor and Joe Chapman
created a new design for the spectacular Bollywood song and dance
spectacular, "I Believe" which opened at the National Performing Arts
Centre, Jamshed Baba Theatre in Mumbai, India. Shiamak, along with his
core troupe of dancers, and Hollywood Latin dance star Katya Vishilas wowed
audiences with its scale of set, lighting, projection, laser and spectacular
staging not only on India's largest stage but also bursting into the
auditorium and seating. 
I
am often asked my view of what the theatre of the future will be. The
buildings we design at 
With
amazing backup from Jands and Fred Mikeska of the American office of AC
Lighting, Joe Chapman and David Taylor have chosen the Jands Vista console
as the conventional and digital lighting and media console for the "I
Believe" production in Mumbai, India. "The console is an amazing
machine", said Joe Chapman, associate lighting designer for the show - "it
has an approach to cue work that is innovative and exactly what we
are looking for in the controller for our show". Steve Irwin undertook
intensive training for the console and Stagegear and Electrocraft in Mumbai
are providing the console with support from Alex Muir of Jands Australia.
A
new article in Lighting and Sound America's July 2007 issue discusses the
problem associated with smooshed scenery in a recent opera production and
the old-school solution that David Taylor and his assistant, Nick Mosher
came up with to satisfy a director's specific visual needs.
Lighting
Designer David Taylor and his associate lighting designer, Joe Chapman, have
joined the creative team of Shiamak Davar's "I Believe" production in
Mumbai India. Shiamak Davar is India's leading choreographer for
movies, stage shows and events. He has choreographed many well known
Bollywood movies such as Dil to Pagal Hai,Taal,
alth
Games in Melbourne 2006. He is a chum of Bill Clinton, Sting and Will
Smith and has created a style of dance - Bollywood Jazz - that is a
huge hit in India. 
The
creative team includes renowned MTV Style Awards designer
An
article written by David Taylor for LDI was repurposed in the March 2007
print edition of
Arup
has announced the appointment of David Taylor, an internationally known
consultant for theatres, concert halls and other performing arts venues, to
lead Arup's performing arts sector work in the Americas. Taylor, an
associate principal based in New York, will be the primary point of contact
in the Americas for performing arts clients and the linchpin for Arup's
overall work in the sector.
An
article written by David Taylor was featured in the June paper and
electronic editions of Projection, Lights and Staging News, published in
California. He discusses technology integration for digital lighting.
A link can be found here
David Taylor is
one of the contributors to an important article on Edge City arts
developments in the December '05 edition of
With
the slightest hint of irony, David Taylor participated in an open panel
session at the USITT Conference in Kentucky in late March 2006 as part of
the Professional Development Workshop series. Along with fellow ESTA
leaders, Taylor discussed options for
graduate theatre professionals
who wished to undertake
non-traditional career paths, such as consulting or architectural lighting.
Panel colleague Dina Myers - spectacularly calm leader of sales at
Making
the presentation on behalf of New World Symphony at the 2006 Internet 2
Performance and Master Class Production Workshop in Miami Beach, Florida,
Taylor was joined by Richard Bunn, systems consultant from the London office
of Theatre Projects Consultants (TPC). The two are close collaborators on
the project, which will occupy two adjacent city blocks and which will
enable high definition video and audio to be sent to and from a remote site
at speeds thousands of times faster than the regular internet. Taylor says:
“The opportunities for arts collaboration are phenomenal and New World
Symphony is at the very hub of this digital distance learning network,
leading the way for arts groups around the world.”
The workshop, which took place from
30th January to 1st February, was attended by delegates from around the
United States, with a view to better understanding the opportunities and
challenges of distance learning and the performing arts. Yasu Toyota of
Nagata Acoustics also gave delegates an introduction to concert and recital
hall acoustics.
A
new production of "Lucia di Lammermoor" opened to great reviews in Kansas
City, March 11th 2006. With lighting designed by David Taylor, sets by
R. Keith Brumley and acclaimed stage direction by ex-Met and Lyric Opera
Chicago creator Marc Verzatt, the production offered Angela Turner Wilson an
opportunity to present one of the most challenging soprano roles.
Maestro Ward Holmquist topped off a remarkable team. Paul Horsley's
Kansas City Star review can be read here
Following on from
the successful grad program classes on Theatre Building Design and Color for the
Theatres, David Taylor will return to University of Connecticut, Storrs School
of Fine Arts to offer a semester-long class in Design Consulting for Theatre
Buildings in Spring 2007. Under the guidance of Professor of Lighting
Design, Jim Franklin, David will be discussing programming, building design and
planning, technology integration and "hand holding" within the MFA Design
program. Students will be again undertake a complex "blue-sky" consulting
project as well as the fun and games of applying design sensibilities to the
niche construction market.