LED Cello Lights Up The Stage

The cello, played well, is a soulful instrument. So human, so organic. The last thing you’d think a cello needs is high-tech enhancement. And yet, several years ago the visual artist Erika Harrsch began collaborating with cellist Maya Beiser and composer Paola Prestini on a new work. Harrsch had an idea: What about an LED cello? An instrument covered with panels of light-emitting diodes. Harrsch says at first, it was a tough sell. “I remember when I came to Paola and Maya, like, ‘I want to make an LED Cello,’ they’re like, ‘what?!'”