Carolyn O'Brien

Carolyn O’Brien (she/her) is a composer, creator, and collaborator who creates shows that integrate multidisciplinary artists with the audience. Kinetic sculpture, absurdist theater, visual art, vaudeville, silent film, dance, jazz, and folk music inspire much of her work. She uses her academic training to create formal structures that allow for tactile childlike exploration with musical material, often sounding as if the music is ricocheting off predetermined walls, ceilings, and floors. Accessibility to all levels of listener—ranging from children to the most musically educated adult—has always been a priority in her work, which is heavily influenced by her previous career as a public-school music educator.

Carolyn’s current work is focused on creating hour-length shows that connect music with nature, movement, set design, sound sculptures, unconventional instrumentation such as music boxes and antique musical toys, theatrical elements seldom seen in the “art music” tradition, and the inclusion of audience members in quasi-improvisatory pieces and post-concert exploration.