Contact:                                                
JoAnn Loviglio
T 215.440.5546
jloviglio@centercityphila.org
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Installation allows users to step up to the park fountain and “conduct” music and water; Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin to make special appearance

PHILADELPHIA (July 21, 2025) – Center City District and The Philadelphia Orchestra are pleased to unveil details today of a groundbreaking interactive art installation coming to Dilworth Park’s fountain for four weeks this fall that will allow members of the public to “conduct” their own compositions of water and sound. The installation kicks off in the weeks leading up to the Orchestra's celebration of its 125th anniversary, honoring its rich musical history and dedication to technological innovations.

Conceived, produced, and distributed by a trio of Montréal-based creative organizations, Water Orchestra reimagines the Dilworth Park fountain as a playful, responsive musical instrument, activated in real-time by the gestures of anyone who steps onto the conductor’s podium. To see video of an early smaller-scale version created in Montréal, click here.

Water Orchestra debuts on September 5 with a special opening performance and continues through October 3. Visitors can channel their inner maestro daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; conducting times will be limited to two-minute intervals.

The following week, at 2 p.m. on September 11, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, music and artistic director of The Philadelphia Orchestra, will step up to the Water Orchestra podium and will be joined by a group of Philadelphia Orchestra musicians for a one-time-only performance. More information will be announced soon, including details on a guest conductor series, pop-up performances from youth and community orchestral ensembles, and other programming.

“Every visitor to Dilworth Park can step up to the podium and transform into the maestro of the water fountain,” Center City District President and CEO Prema Katari Gupta said. "These shared experiences of discovery and delight are what make our downtown a magnet for residents, visitors, and businesses alike."

Featuring a specially curated soundtrack provided by The Philadelphia Orchestra including Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Mussorgsky's Pictures from an Exhibition, Strauss’ Don Juan, and more, Water Orchestra is programmed so visitors can use their own movement and gestures to affect the sequence of music, rhythm, and flow of water. Wide, expressive movements result in bursts of sound and energetic jets; slower, smaller motions result in gentle melodies and soft pops of water.

“My goal is to create spaces where everyone feels welcome in music, whether at the Orchestra’s home in Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center or in public spaces like Dilworth Park. When we offer interactive opportunities like this, we make every person a collaborator in the process,” Nézet-Séguin said. “Through this creative technology, we will discover that everyone has an innate musical instinct waiting to be awakened.”

Water Orchestra was conceived by Ottomata and Atomic3, produced by Ottomata, and distributed by Wireframe, all based in Montréal. The creators drew inspiration in part from Walt Disney’s beloved 1940 film Fantasia, for which The Philadelphia Orchestra performed the soundtrack, particularly the iconic “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” segment where Mickey Mouse conducts the movement of shooting stars, swirling clouds, and an ever-expanding band of bucket-carrying brooms.

“A cultural landmark that introduced multiple generations to classical music, Fantasia remains a significant moment in The Philadelphia Orchestra's 125-year history and a testament to the pioneering spirit of the ensemble,” said Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts President and CEO Ryan Fleur. “Just as former Music Director Leopold Stokowski wasn't afraid to embrace Disney's revolutionary vision in 1940, we remain committed to finding new ways to share the power of music and to make it accessible, relevant, and magical for everyone."

Placing the individual at the center of the experience, Water Orchestra is an invitation to experience the thrill of creation, the delight of movement, and the chance to make something extraordinary and individual within one of Philadelphia’s most celebrated gathering places — Dilworth Park, which welcomed a record-setting 11.5 million visitors in 2024.

“The idea behind Water Orchestra is to bring the thrill of classical music to the public square, reframing it as an act of participation rather than performance, and inviting Philadelphians and visitors to move, listen, and play together,” Gupta added.

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Center City District, a partnership of property owners and downtown stakeholders, is the steward and advocate for a clean, safe, and thriving Center City Philadelphia. For more information, visit centercityphila.org/waterorch.

For more information about The Philadelphia Orchestra, visit philorch.org.