Other Channels explored the history of the Missouri River as it flows in and through our riverfront. For this composition, we partnered with the Bemis Center to bring artist and composer Nadia Botello to Omaha. Her original, experimental music asks “What happens when we pay attention and listen to a river? What develops in the moment when we juxtapose the natural against the engineered?” To compose her score, Ms. Botello used both early and present day geographic maps, along with United States Geological Survey data.
In 2021, the Omaha Symphony string ensemble premiered Ms. Botello’s composition, aboard a river boat, where the symphony strings mixed with the sounds of the surrounding river.
In addition to the performance, a group of experts representing the UNL Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the Corp of Engineer and the Naturalist School discussed the Missouri’s history and, its future impact on Omaha and Council Bluffs.
Project Partners: Bemis Center for the Contemporary Arts, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Mid-American Arts Alliance.
Estimated Financial Support: Back to the River – $5,000
Estimated Total Project Cost: $44,750
Year: 2021
