Arcomusical is a chamber ensemble specializing in the single-stringed berimbau musical bow. Since 2016, Arcomusical has reimagined the bow in a myriad of ways, from systems of notation to the instrument’s physical construction. Our mission is to spread the joy of the musical bow through excellent performances of innovative repertoire.

The berimbau traditionally accompanies the Afro-Brazilian body game of capoeira. Its gourd resonator sits toward the bottom of the low-tuned instrument. Inspired by this and other members of the southern African musical bow family, Arcomusical began experimenting with gourd placements at various points along the instrument. This opened the possibility of executing hocketed harmonic and melodic music. Developing variable gourd placement across the ensemble resulted in whole-number tuning ratios akin to the Pythagorean tuning system. Arcomusical now routinely plays music with a range of over two octaves.

Writing pitched bow music created physical challenges. Traditional capoeira berimbaus are “armed” by pulling a taut wire around one end of a bent wooden staff. Applying higher tension to the wire results in higher notes, but achieving and sustaining precise tunings for the duration of a concert proved to be stressfully impractical. Eventually, Arcomuscial developed an instrument design responsive to the ensemble’s needs.

With a repertoire of dozens of compositions by nearly as many composers, Arcomusical has gradually developed a variety of sound production techniques that are now codified in our Composition and Notation Guide (now in its third edition).

To showcase Arcomusical’s unique approach to the musical bow family of instruments, we propose a 50-minute PASIC concert offering a cross-section of our diverse repertoire. The program will include:

Fios e linhas by Gregory Beyer
Cantifractus Psalmodicus by David M. Gordon
Indra Looks to the Sky by Krissy Bergmark, guest performer on tabla
Emigre and Exile by Matt Ulery, guest perfor