Bringing garbage to life at the Vancouver Playhouse

    1 of 3 2 of 3

      When you think of the sound made by an instrument built from an oil can, a beef tenderizer, and wood from a landfill, the imagination recoils in horror. But when cellist Juan Manuel Chavez, or “Bebi,” plays on his recycled cello, beautiful music escapes. 

      On May 29, the Vancouver Playhouse is featuring a night of music ranging from the high-classical to beatboxing to the trash heap.

      This is the theory behind the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, Paraguay, star of the award-winning documentary Landfill Harmonic — that garbage can be made into near-perfect instruments. Anyone skeptical about how trash can be made to sound beautiful should keep in mind that the group's first visit to Vancouver last year sold out.

      The Recycled Orchestra, hosted by philanthropic organization Instruments Beyond Borders, will be playing alongside Vancouver’s own Borealis String Quartet and the unique beatboxing string trio Infinitus, to name a few. Also featured will be the Saint James Music Academy Orchestra, a school for inner-city children without access to musical education.

      Tickets are on sale online, running at $42.75 average and $27.75 for students.

      Doors open at 7 p.m. at the Vancouver Playhouse (660 Hamilton Street).

      Comments