National Sawdust Introduces New Partnership with Revolutionary Audio Tech Company Devialet
National Sawdust announced today a new partnership with internationally celebrated audio technology company Devialet, for the entire present season. Devialet will equip the Brooklyn non-profit venue with high-quality audio-streaming capabilities, enabling live transmission of all 2017-18 National Sawdust concerts to owners of Devialet Phantom speakers worldwide. Also including the creation of a co-branded Devialet Phantom speaker, inspired by the venue’s stunning angular interior, the partnership confirms National Sawdust’s reputation as “the ‘go to’ place for hip events in the classical industry” (Gay City News). As the Washington Post put it, “the buzz has shifted to National Sawdust.”
Hailed for its company mission to democratize the high-end audio experience, Devialet is a natural partner to continue National Sawdust’s efforts to increase the accessibility of its high-end concert experience.
Already a leader in concert accessibility through its low ticket prices, which average $29, the non-profit venue and new music incubator can now broadcast concerts beyond its walls without compromising the intimacy of the live experience. National Sawdust will also independently stream at least one concert per month free of charge on Facebook Live, besides offering live streaming of those performances that sell out in advance.
National Sawdust Founder and Artistic Director Paola Prestini commented:
“Enabling discovery of great artistic experiences is the core of the National Sawdust mission. Our concerts offer an unparalleled acoustic experience, and I’m thrilled to partner with Devialet to extend National Sawdust’s reach beyond our concert hall without compromising an inch of sound quality. Today is a vital milestone in bringing music discovery to audiophiles and music lovers around the world.”
Devialet Co-Founder and CEO Quentin Sannié added:
“At Devialet, we believe that the purpose of technology in audio is to deliver all the details of the intentions created by artists. We have been thrilled to discover a similarly unique approach to excellence and innovation at National Sawdust. Serious music fans and casual listeners alike should know about this partnership, and the incredible emotional power it will unlock. National Sawdust is a place for social progress, and we at Devialet look forward to being a part of the creative and technological advancements that such an environment fosters. As through our partnership with Opéra de Paris, we are proud to share the future of artistic creation with the world.”
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Now in its third season, National Sawdust announces several additional new partners to bolster its industry-leading artistic development. A new collaboration with the University of Michigan and its entrepreneurial EXCEL Lab will give showcase and residency opportunities to emerging young musicians, designers, and multidisciplinary artists of the next generation. As part of this partnership, it is at National Sawdust that the University of Michigan will present the Grand Prize winner of its M-Prize Chamber Arts Competition each year, beginning with 2017 winner Russian Renaissance during National Sawdust’s Opening Weekend.
Also drawing from a pool of veteran artists, National Sawdust announces new partnerships with the HSBC Laureates program of the Aix-en-Provence festival and with NEW INC., the famed professional development program that is the New Museum’s cultural incubator. These three renowned programs will share their resident artists and composers, creating opportunities for co-commissions, and enabling cross-cultural collaboration between the forward-thinking creators of all three.
About Devialet
Founded in 2007, Devialet is a leading tech start-up and the most award-winning company in the history of audio. Widely acclaimed by industry experts and the international press, and protected by more than 100 patents, Devialet’s revolutionary Expert Pro amplifier and Phantom wireless speaker now retail at the world’s most exclusive outlets, including Colette, Harrods, Le Bon Marché, Lane Crawford, KaDeWe, and Apple Stores, in addition to Devialet’s own international retail network. Bernard Arnault, Jacques-Antoine Granjon, Xavier Niel, and Marc Simoncini are among Devialet’s early investors.
About EXCEL Lab at the University of Michigan
Since 2015, the Department of Entrepreneurship and Leadership’s expansive EXCEL Lab has emerged as a national leader in the delivery of performing arts career development training. EXCEL supports more than 1,000 performing arts students each year through career coaching, weekly workshops featuring internationally renowned arts leaders, a curriculum of courses that include an undergraduate minor and graduate certificate, and more than $120,000 in direct student funding for more than 80 student projects. As a result, more than 150 U-M students take part in dozens of new performances, residencies, performing arts festivals, installations, collaborations with professional companies, and multi-disciplinary initiatives each year throughout Michigan and beyond.
About the M-Prize Chamber Arts Competition
The M-Prize Chamber Arts Competition is a new initiative at the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance that enters its third year in 2018. Each year, M-Prize will showcase its Grand Prize winner at National Sawdust, beginning with 2017 Open Category winner Russian Renaissance. M-Prize’s commitment to highlighting the breadth of the Chamber Arts field is demonstrated through its two Divisions (Junior and Senior) and three Categories (Strings, Winds, and Open), with the Senior winners of each category competing head-to-head to determine who will walk away with the competition’s top honor.
About the HSBC Laureates and Académie du Festival d’Aix
Committed to sponsoring young talents, HSBC France has been collaborating with the Académie du Festival d’Aix since 2006. Each year, the festival’s artistic direction selects a new set of singers, a pianist vocal coach, and a chamber music ensemble from among the Académie’s most promising talents. The HSBC France group supports these young artists – the HSBC Laureates – enabling them to build on the experience they have gained during the festival and to perform in recitals and concerts in France and abroad.
About NEW INC.
NEW INC. is an incubator and professional development program, founded in 2014 by the New Museum to support ambitious ideas and approaches to culture, tech, and business that strive for a more creative, diverse, and equitable future. The first museum-led cultural incubator dedicated to supporting innovation, collaboration, and entrepreneurship across art, design, and technology, it occupies 8,000 square feet of dedicated office, workshop, social, and presentation space, and each year selects an outstanding interdisciplinary community of 100 members to investigate new ideas and develop sustainable practices. Its mission is to foster cultural value, not just capital value.
About National Sawdust
National Sawdust’s mission is to build new audiences for classical and new music by providing outstanding resources and programming support to both emerging and established artists and composers. National Sawdust’s programming is centered on discovery within music, introducing audiences to new artists and styles, and introducing artists to new audiences. National Sawdust also provides artists with the space, time, and resources they need to create new work. With adjoining restaurant Rider, from James Beard award-winning chef Patrick Connolly, National Sawdust embraces the blending of cultural and culinary experience. The National Sawdust audio experience was designed by Arup Acoustics, and its architectural designer is Bureau V.
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