Symphony -1

Symphony No. -1 is a work of music by the cellist, artist, and writer Ethan Philbrick with no notes. It is a score for musicians at the edge of sleep, a symphony assembled under the sign of the negative, a non-something, an undoing.

Ethan Philbrick is a cellist, artist, and writer. In 2023, Philbrick published Group Works: Art, Politics, and Collective Ambivalence with Fordham University Press. He is currently curator-in-residence at The Poetry Project and a member of the curatorial collective for Offerings in New York City.

Alberto Brutti is a double bassist, composer, and sound artist. He is the creator of the solo project Karu. He holds degrees in Jazz Double Bass from the Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome and Electronic Music from the “Giuseppe Verdi” Conservatory in Como, balancing his career as a composer with roles as a producer and audio engineer.

Milena Punzi is a cellist, composer, and sound artist. Her compositions include All’improvviso – An Imaginary Soundtrack, Tacto, and Spheres, alongside numerous projects developed for installations and live performances. She has a degree in Composition for Cinema and Television from the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” and a background in combining classical studies with electronic improvisation.

Scientific Organization: Francesca Borgo and the Lise Meitner Group

_{Images: Ethan Philbrick and Justin Wong performing Philbrick’s Instrument, October 2024. Photo by Nir Arieli.}