Clara Yang brings ‘Ex Machina’ to NYC

Clara Yang’s multimedia project “Ex Machina” is heading to the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York.

After the project’s debut at Carolina’s Moeser Auditorium in March 2024, Yang — the head of keyboard studies for the College of Arts and Sciences’ music department — took the performance to Los Angeles. Now she will be performing May 11 in New York as part of Carnegie Hall’s “United in Sound: America at 250” festival.

“I think it’s a perfect place to showcase ‘Ex Machina,’” Yang said. “This program is a testament to America at 250: shaped by a diverse group of brilliant American artists whose distinct voices come together to reflect the full, rich spectrum of who we are.”

Those artists include electric guitarist Yvette Young and digital media artist Xuan, whose work provides the immersive visuals that are paired with the show.

These visuals, in conjunction with Yang’s piano playing, serve as the foundation for a three-act multimedia show that explores the evolving relationship between humanity and technology.

In the two years since its inception, Yang says that “Ex Machina” has gone through an evolution of its own.

“When I first performed in Moeser Auditorium, we had to kind of stitch together the images to fit within the space, and it was only semi-surround visually,” Yang said. “It worked out really well, but the excellent projectors and the venue for the Process Series at UNC last year have given us the opportunity to improve the audiovisuals of the show, making it more immersive to prepare for the show at Baryshnikov Arts.”

“It’s begun to develop in a way that’s gone so far beyond my expectations,” Yang said. “I’m just so grateful to be a part of this upcoming festival. It means a lot.” (Submitted photo)

Yang has also added two new pieces in recent performances. One is Philip Glass’s “Etude No. 11.” The other is “Hammers Over the Moon,” by Liliya Ugay, a piece that Yang describes as a conversation between an acoustic piano and a machine. It’s another example of how the project continues to explore the intersection between artificial intelligence and art.

On May 1, Yang releases an album of the show, “xmachina,” which will be available on all digital platforms.

“It’s a very different experience without the visuals,” Yang said. “But I think being able to focus on just the aural aspect will give audiences a different perspective for the music.”

At the Baryshnikov Arts Center, the performance will feature both the immersive visuals to the varied piano compositions, providing audiences with the ideal way to experience “Ex Machina.” When Yang first performed the show at Carolina, she never expected it to reach the heights that it has now.

“It’s begun to develop in a way that’s gone so far beyond my expectations,” Yang said. “I’m just so grateful to be a part of this upcoming festival. It means a lot.”