Melodious Madness

The all-day Accidental Music Festival features 18 ensembles and soloists performing in succession.

It happened, more or less, by accident. Hence, the title.

Christopher Belt, a classical guitarist and avant-garde music enthusiast, wanted nothing more than to set up a concert or two six years ago. But the idea took off, becoming an annual event he named, aptly enough, the Accidental Music Festival. The classical and alternative music marathon – sometimes he just calls it “the madness” for short – begins this year on May 20 at 1 p.m. and will continue unabated for the next 9½ hours, featuring 18 ensembles and soloists performing in half-hour increments. The event is at the Sodo Shopping Center just south of downtown Orlando. It’s free, though donations are encouraged.

Performances include a trans-Atlantic duo — or trio, depending on how you look at it: One of performers, a flutist, will be playing in Zurich, linked to her musical partner via a sensory-augmentation program that will both transmit and randomly manipulate the sound of the instrument.

Opera Orlando will perform selections from The Book Collector, a new opera about a bibliophile who,  speaking of madness, goes berserk when someone outbids him in an auction for a book.

There will also be an acoustic and electronic instrument “petting zoo” where kids of all ages can test out instruments and learn about making electronic music. 

Here’s the complete performance schedule:

1:00 – Valhalla Quartet (student ensemble)
1:30 – Opera Orlando
2:00 – Null-state (this is the transAltantic duo/trio)
2:30 – UCF Percussion Ensemble
3:00 – Yen-Yaw
3:30 – Alterity Woodwind Quintet
4:00 – Elizabeth Baker
4:30 – Continuum Quartet
5:00 – Helena
5:30 – dbDuo
6:00 – Luis Guerrero
6:30 – Belt & Ramirez
7:00 – blacksunblackmoon
7:30 – Lush Agave
8:00 – Hippocrene Saxophone Quartet
8:30 – Moloko Plus
9:00 – Thomas Milovac Unit Colossus
9:30 – Ensemble AMF

Visit accidentalmusicfestival.com for information.