World Chess Hall of Fame Exhibition Coming to SLU

12/21/2023

The World Chess Hall of Fame will celebrate the closing of its exhibition, Sound Moves: Where Music Meets Chess, with a unique performance using a custom-made chessboard piano. The performance will be at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, in Saint Louis University's Sinquefield State Room.

The instrument, created by Dutch visual artist Guido van der Werve, is a full-sized, playable chessboard with each square controlling a different note, translating the playthrough of a chess match composed by Russian Grandmaster Leonid Yudasin into a mesmerizing musical composition with every move. 

St. Louis-based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and composer Adam Maness will perform Number Twelve Chess Piano Concert in Three Movements with van der Werve on the chessboard, supported by musicians from the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Darwin Aquino.

Before the performance, there will be an artist talk led by Bradley Bailey, Ph.D., associate professor in the department of Visual and Performing Arts and the co-curator of Sound Moves. In addition to complimentary valet, there also will be cocktails, and hors d'oeuvres at this limited-ticket event.

To attend, send an RSVP to events@worldchesshof.org.