The Art of Sound: Four Centuries of Musical Instruments

June 16, 2012 - September 02, 2012

As the world sets its eyes and ears on Cincinnati for the World Choir Games, The Art of Sound: Four Centuries of Musical Instruments will showcase musical instrument from across the globe selected from the permanent collection of the Cincinnati Art Museum. The museum’s musical instrument collection includes over 800 pieces, making it one of the largest and most comprehensive in the country. It spans four continents, four centuries and over 30 musical cultures. These instruments, adorned with elaborate inlay work, painted with beautiful designs, and carved with intricate detail, are works of art as beautiful to look at as the sounds they were created to make. The instruments, numbering over one hundred, will be placed in context with paintings, prints, photography and ceramics from the m’s collection, and through an interactive element developed for specifically for this exhibition that will allow visitors to hear and see several of the instruments in use.