Nature Suite is a short piece divided into four movements corresponding to the four seasons of the year. Each movement describes the atmosphere of the season. The work is composed for four Music Shapers, developed by Maggie Orth, Roberto Aimi and colleagues at the MIT Media Lab. These Shapers are played by four children, who are accompanied by the orchestra. For each season, each Shaper has a different role, sometimes interpreting sound effects, such as wind, rain, waves, waterfalls, or animals; and sometimes interpreting formulas of notes and arpeggios with synthesizer sounds.

The piece was commissioned by the MIT Media Lab.

Audio excerpts of Nature Suite at MIT, performed by the Boston Modern Orchestra Project and children from Boston, conducted by Gil Rose:

Nature Suite excerpt 1: Automn
Nature Suite excerpt 2: Winter

More details on the performances