With his innovative "In a Landscape" series, pianist Hunter Noack hauls a concert-quality Steinway to remote locations, inviting audiences to wander through nature while intimate piano sounds fill their wireless headphones.

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The Spotlight shines On naturalist and classical pianist Hunter Noack.

Redefining what a concert hall can be, Hunter Noack hauls a nine-foot Steinway grand piano to mountaintops, forests, and beaches for his series "In a Landscape: Classical Music in the Wild."

Hunter grew up in Central Oregon, where his love for music and nature took root. His concert series gives audiences wireless headphones and encourages them to wander through stunning settings while the music plays. It's part performance, part exploration—turning national parks and historic sites into living concert venues.

Since founding the series in 2016, Hunter has brought classical music to over 75,000 people across the American West, many experiencing live classical music for the first time. He's performed in sun, snow, and everything in between—all to break down barriers between listener, music, and landscape.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Hunter Noack’s album In a Landscape)

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00:01:41 - Hunter's early years in central Oregon and connection to the outdoors
00:03:11 - Studying at Interlochen and maintaining connection with nature
00:04:07 - How Hunter found his way back to Oregon after studying abroad
00:05:58 - Why Portland proved to be the perfect place to experiment
00:08:01 - The origins of the "In a Landscape" concept
00:11:24 - Inspiration from the WPA (Works Progress Administration)
00:14:03 - The crucial role of wireless headphones in the experience
00:16:51 - How headphones create connection rather than isolation
00:19:09 - Adapting to unpredictable outdoor environments
00:23:41 - Transporting a 1,000-pound Steinway piano everywhere
00:28:35 - How Hunter scouts and selects venues
00:33:30 - The "light touch" production that allows access to sensitive environments
00:34:40 - Building relationships between urban and rural communities
00:39:30 - Crafting accessible programs for first-time classical music listeners

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Visit Hunter Noack at https://www.hunternoack.com
and the In a Landscape project at https://www.inalandscape.org

Purchase Hunter Noack’s In a Landscape from Qobuz → https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/in-a-landscape-hunter-noack/v6o47rh5m5hnc
and listen on your streaming platform of choice → https://album.link/i/1627574566

Follow Hunter Noack on Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/hunternoackpiano
and In a Landscape on Instagram → http://instagram.com/inalandscape
Facebook → https://www.facebook.com/inalandscapemusic
and YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@HunterNoack

For extensive show notes, links, and podcast information, go to https://www.spotlightonpodcast.com

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