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Robert Wilhite, "Chinese Cocktail," 2012, Barnsdall Theater. Organized by X-TRA.
Robert Wilhite, “Chinese Cocktail,” 2012, Barnsdall Theater. Organized by X-TRA.

Photo: Don Lewis

Event Images

  • Robert Wilhite, "Chinese Cocktail," 2012, Barnsdall Theater. Organized by X-TRA.
    Robert Wilhite, “Chinese Cocktail,” 2012, Barnsdall Theater. Organized by X-TRA.

    Photo: Don Lewis

  • Robert Wilhite, "Chinese Cocktail," 2012, Barnsdall Theater. Organized by X-TRA.
    Robert Wilhite, “Chinese Cocktail,” 2012, Barnsdall Theater. Organized by X-TRA.

    Photo: Don Lewis

  • Robert Wilhite, "Chinese Cocktail," 2012, Barnsdall Theater. Organized by X-TRA.
    Robert Wilhite, “Chinese Cocktail,” 2012, Barnsdall Theater. Organized by X-TRA.

    Photo: Don Lewis

  • Robert Wilhite, "Chinese Cocktail," 2012, Barnsdall Theater. Organized by X-TRA.
    Robert Wilhite, “Chinese Cocktail,” 2012, Barnsdall Theater. Organized by X-TRA.

    Photo: Don Lewis

  • Detail of one of Robert Wilhite's instruments used in "Chinese Cocktail," 2012, Barnsdall Theater. Organized by X-TRA.
    Detail of one of Robert Wilhite’s instruments used in “Chinese Cocktail,” 2012, Barnsdall Theater. Organized by X-TRA.

    Photo: Don Lewis

  • Detail of one of Robert Wilhite's instruments used in "Chinese Cocktail," 2012, Barnsdall Theater. Organized by X-TRA.
    Detail of one of Robert Wilhite’s instruments used in “Chinese Cocktail,” 2012, Barnsdall Theater. Organized by X-TRA.

    Photo: Don Lewis

  • Robert Wilhite, "Chinese Cocktail," 2012, Barnsdall Theater. Organized by X-TRA.
    Robert Wilhite, “Chinese Cocktail,” 2012, Barnsdall Theater. Organized by X-TRA.

    Photo: Don Lewis

  • Page from the score of Robert Wilhite's "Chinese Cocktail," 2012, Barnsdall Theater. Organized by X-TRA.
    Page from the score of Robert Wilhite’s “Chinese Cocktail,” 2012, Barnsdall Theater. Organized by X-TRA.

    Photo: Don Lewis

  • Crowd on stage after Robert Wilhite's "Chinese Cocktail," 2012, Barnsdall Theater. Organized by X-TRA.
    Crowd on stage after Robert Wilhite’s “Chinese Cocktail,” 2012, Barnsdall Theater. Organized by X-TRA.

    Photo: Don Lewis

  • Robert Wilhite and musical sculpture orchestra performance
    Robert Wilhite and musical sculpture orchestra performance, 1978

    © Robert Wilhite. San Francisco Art Institute, photograph taken by Helene Fried

Chinese Cocktail, a concert by Robert Wilhite

Tuesday, January 24, 2012, 8:00 p.m.
Admission: Get tickets here: http://x-traonline.org/events/chinesecocktail/.
Location: Barnsdall Theater, 4800 Hollywood Bl., Los Angeles, CA 90027 Map

Chinese Cocktail is a 60-minute musical concert played on 10 musical sculptures made by Robert Wilhite. A combination of original performers from the 1978 concerts, and current collaborators, will perform from Wilhite’s geometric score.

Originally performed as Chinese Cocktail at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1978, this concert will use seven of the original instruments. Robert Wilhite described the 1978 concert, in an earlier statement:

“The orchestra was composed of 10 musical instruments, which I made. Each was non-traditional. The geometric shapes of the instruments were direct visual art references, while the sounds they created only remotely fit into the categories of wind- string- percussion. I devised my own musical notation system for the performance. I used symbols, which related to the geometric shapes of the instruments, and created a type of hieroglyphic system. Somewhat crude, but effective. The music notation simply provided an order for the musicians to play. They followed no rhythm pattern, and the sound created by each musician with the instrument was up to that person.”

Organized by:

X-TRA