Annea Lockwood

Born in New Zealand in 1939 and living in the US since 1973, Annea Lockwood is known for her explorations of the rich world of natural acoustic sounds and environments, in works ranging from sound art and installations, through text-sound and performance art to concert music. 

Her 1968 work Piano Burning is a piece in which a performer lights up an upright piano beyond repair, then plays the instrument for as long as possible, until it is engulfed in flames. Curated with Lawrence English/Room 40, Piano Burning at Unsound holds a special resonance this year acting as a meditation on the pandemic and its impacts on the very nature of live performance.