SIU’s Morris Library to host inaugural Yellow Moon Gyroid Concert Series Sept. 19

September 11, 2024

by Pete Rosenbery

CARBONDALE, Ill. - The magic of music and mathematical principles intertwined will come to Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Morris Library on Thursday, Sept. 19, with the inaugural Yellow Moon Gyroid Concert Series.

Established by William Cernota, an assistant lecturer in SIU's School of Music, and Reiko Schoen - whose late husband, SIU Carbondale professor Alan Schoen, discovered the gyroid - the opening concert will feature SIU music faculty and students. The free concert is at 5 p.m. in the library's third-floor rotunda. A reception will follow.

The rotunda is home to Yellow Moon Gyroid made by algorithmic artist Jesse Louis-Rosenberg, honoring Schoen's 1968 discovery while working for NASA. The grand piano and high ceiling provide "perfect acoustics for live music performances," Cernota said.

School of Music faculty David Dillard, Anthony Gray, Eric Mandat and music students Noah Brown, Iasmim Bonfim de Carvalho, Thomas Edgar and guest artist Lorenna Brown will perform. Edgar, who earned bachelor's degrees in May 2024 in both piano performance and aviation flight, will premiere a piece on the gyroid sculpture theme.

A gyroid is an infinitely connected periodic minimal surface with no straight lines; a minimal surface has the smallest area possible within a given boundary. Schoen, a physicist, mathematician and computer scientist, taught at SIU Carbondale from 1973 to 1996.

"One of our missions for this series is to provide a wide musical opportunity for the musicians and listeners both on campus and from the community," Cernota said. He added that one goal, pending scheduling, is to offer open daytime rehearsals in the rotunda on Saturdays, specifically designed for senior citizens and those of any age who have difficulty attending evening concerts.

John Pollitz, dean of Library Affairs, said Morris Library is happy to collaborate with Schoen and the School of Music on the concert series. The third-floor rotunda is "well-suited for intimate musical performances. The high conical ceiling provides excellent acoustics that enhance the listeners' experience. Because Ms. Schoen has broad connections in the regional music community, the concerts provide an opportunity for the university to offer cultural activity beyond the campus," Pollitz said.

"Most importantly for me, the third-floor rotunda is the home of the Yellow Moon Gyroid. That piece of sculpture is the visualization of mathematic principles that are found in bubbles and butterfly wings, but also has practical applications in engineering, medicine, chemistry and architecture. This all comes together in music. What better place for this magic than in a library."

The Kawai grand piano featured in the performance is on long-term loan to the library from Edward and Kara Benyas. Edward Benyas is a professor emeritus in the School of Music.

Richard Kelley, director of the School of Music, said the collaboration is "significant in that it brings many groups together who don't often intersect."

"This is about more than music as visual arts, architecture and acoustics. SIU faculty and students, and community members, are all brought together for this experience," Kelley said. "It is also about community engagement. With so many people depending on their earbuds to deliver their musical entertainment, this opportunity for them to open their ears and be part of this free experience is exciting."

Kelley added that he is also thankful to Reiko Schoen, who is a piano teacher and a member in the Illinois Music Teachers Association. "She has been a longtime supporter and collaborator with the School of Music. Her enthusiasm for live music and the community is quite inspiring."

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