William Close is an installation artist, musician and visionary that has developed over 100 new types of musical instruments, including the famed Earth Harp.
The Earth Harp is the largest stringed instrument on the planet. Developed by William in 1999, the body of the instrument rests on stage, with strings that travel out over the audience and can attach to various structures and architecture, showcasing the landscape of the instrument and literally enveloping onlookers below. Played with rosin-covered gloves, the performer runs their hands along the strings to create lush, vibrant tones similar to that of a cello. The Earth Harp has been installed and played throughout the world; its strings have been fixed to temples in Vietnam, strung in the famous Grand Theater of Macau, The Coliseum in Rome, and outstretched to attach to the Seattle Space Needle, The Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center in the U.S.