Talented Ice Sculptor Creates Incredible Frozen Playable Instruments for an Igloo Symphony

The third episode of “Buck the Cubicle” by P2 Photography profiles Tim Linhart an incredible ice sculptor and the creator of the annual Ice Music Series (previously), a magical musical symphony of frozen, playable instruments played in a hand-carved igloo within the Swedish Lapland town of LuleÃ¥,. During the interview, Linhart spoke to volatile nature of the ice, how musicians compensate to balance the sound and what he created to minimize these effects.

It’s one thing to build an ice instrument, it’s another thing to maintain it and use it throughout time. The ice is always sublimating away into the atmosphere and the players get up next to the instruments. You got hot bodies next to cold instruments and they’re melting and the audience walks in and suddenly the temperature rises because they’re breathing. In that case the strings on the stringed instruments begin to get softer and the pitch goes down.

Focus. #icemusic#ice#winter#luleå#arctic#snow#cello#instruments

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Inside the ice concert hall #ice #igloo #icemusic #valsenales #thealps #arctic #art #artist #snow #sculpture

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The ICEguitar has a cool sound of course! #icemusic #icemusicsweden #icestruments #swedishlapland #luleå

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Ice organ by Tim Linhart. #ice #icemusic #instruments #luleå #organ#winter

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Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.