Published: November 14, 2022
Ring in the New
UT’s new bell tower marries centuries-old traditions with 21st-century technology.
By Kyle Parks
The Susan and John Sykes Ars Sonora, which soars 105 feet above the Sykes Plaza, will be featured in outdoor concerts that will enrich the University and the Tampa Bay community. Photograph: Marc Vaughn
As longtime University of Tampa benefactor John Sykes finished a meeting with UT President Ronald Vaughn in 1997 about plans for what would become the Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values, he had one additional thought.
“I’d love to have some bells with it,” Sykes said.
Little did everyone know that the comment would start a journey that would take 25 years and thousands of hours of planning to get to October’s opening concert of the University’s 63-bell Ars Sonora®, considered the most sophisticated musical sculpture of its type in the world.
The 105-foot structure, which sits in the middle of campus by the Sykes Chapel, is the first Ars Sonora to be built in the U.S. and the world’s tallest. First-of-its-kind software connects the bells to an electronic piano keyboard, allowing musicians to play the bells in ways that have never before been possible.
For centuries, specially trained carillonneurs have played bells with a cumbersome keyboard that has wooden levers. But the Ars Sonora is a newer system to play bells, as the keyboard and digital connectivity allow the keyboardist to play the bells’ notes in what’s essentially real time.
After Vaughn’s conversation with John Sykes, the University did extensive research to find the right partner for the Sykes bell project. They decided to work with the Paccard Bell Foundry in Annecy, France, which has been manufacturing bells since 1796 and invented the Ars Sonora concept, which they loosely translate as the “art of sound,” in 1999.
The company, led by the Paccard family for eight generations since its founding, designs each bell to play a unique note, tied to its centuries-old manufacturing methods. But the Paccard Bell Foundry is not content to stay in the past. Instead, as UT started to talk with the Paccard leaders about the project, the family told the University about its rapidly evolving Ars Sonora technology.
The Sykes bell measures 6 feet tall, 5 feet wide, and weighs 5,000 pounds. Photograph: Marsha Kemp
How the Ars Sonora Works
In all, 61 of the Ars Sonora’s 63 bells each play a different note, with what’s called a “dynamic striker” hitting the bell immediately after the corresponding piano key has been played. (The structure’s two other bells are ornamental.) Musicians from UT’s music department, led by Ars Sonora Curator Joshua Cessna, have spent months learning how to play the Ars Sonora while figuring out the best ways to play it with orchestras, bands and vocalists.
Unlike old-style carillonneurs, musicians playing the Ars Sonora can play fast or slow, soft or loud, with a level of speed and sophistication that the old technology didn’t provide.
“The UT Ars Sonora will offer any pianist a new and unique instrument that can produce extremely nuanced music from the bells,” said Philippe Paccard of the Paccard Bell Foundry. “It is a masterpiece of art and music, and marks the next step in the evolution of musical bell structures.”
The technology involved with UT’s project has been more than 20 years in the making. The Paccard foundry had built a number of Ars Sonora sculptures around the world as the UT plans took shape. But as the University talked about wanting more bells, another level of planning and technology was required since UT’s Ars Sonora has more bells than any Ars Sonora sculpture ever. In response, Phillippe and son Thomas Paccard successfully figured out how to send signals from a keyboard to 61 bells quicker than the blink of an eye.
Indeed, the technology behind the project is impressive: Approximately six miles of wiring connect the keyboard to each of the UT Ars Sonora’s dynamic strikers, and the sculpture also has four swinging bell motors and 147 lights.
The innovation involved in this project goes far beyond what’s inside the structure, though. Since it’s a 105-foot-tall structure in Florida, the Ars Sonora was designed to withstand Category 5 hurricanes and wind speeds of more than 160 miles per hour.
The structure weighs more than 100 tons, with 18 reinforced concrete drilled piers embedded up to 80 feet into the rock below. The Ars Sonora also has six lines of defense for lightning protection, including power surge protection devices and a stainless-steel skin connected to a large continuous grounding loop below ground.
The structure’s array of bells includes three swinging bells known as the UT bells, each with the University’s seal and inscribed with the University’s motto, Esse Quam Videri — “to be, rather than to seem.” The fourth and largest swinging bell is the Sykes bell, which weighs 5,000 pounds, bears the name Susan and John Sykes Ars Sonora, and features the Sykes’ quote, “May These Bells Bring Inspiration to All.”
A One-of-a-Kind Curator
For Josh Cessna ’16, staff pianist and Ars Sonora curator, learning to play the one-of-a-kind instrument has been gratifying. Photograph: Marsha Kemp
Josh Cessna ’16 has a one-of-a-kind job. Over the past few months, he’s been learning how to play UT’s new Ars Sonora while he works with musical groups and vocalists to understand how best to have the musical structure accompany their performances.
For a classically trained pianist, this is the opportunity of a lifetime.
“I am the first person to be playing this instrument, and it’s pretty surreal,” said Cessna, whose UT title is staff pianist and Ars Sonora curator. “A lot of what we’ve been doing is problem-solving in real time. I love puzzles, so this is something I love.”
The University’s Ars Sonora is the largest and most sophisticated musical structure of its type in the world. When he plays the Ars Sonora, Cessna uses 61 of the 88 keys on his keyboard, with each key sending a digital signal to the structure to play the corresponding bell.
“We’ve found that almost any song can be played on the Ars Sonora, since basic harmonies and melodies fit within the range of the bells,” Cessna said. “A bigger adjustment is accounting for how it takes a moment for each note to play, unlike a piano where a damper keeps the notes tighter.”
In addition to planning concerts for the Ars Sonora, Cessna is recording music to be played during the week on campus. But unlike bell towers that play pre-recorded music out of speakers, Cessna is recording digital signals that will work with the Ars Sonora’s software to play the bells even though he is not physically playing the keyboard at that time.
Cessna was the perfect choice for this role. After earning a bachelor’s degree in piano and musical performance from UT, he earned a master’s degree at Lynn Conservatory of Music (FL) in instrumental collaborative piano. He moved back to Tampa and was teaching in the UT music department when a national search began for the Ars Sonora curator role.
With his background in tying piano into larger performances, and his knowledge of the University, Cessna has been able to seamlessly work with music department leaders Ryan Hebert, chair, and Grigorios Zamparas, director of piano studies, to quickly integrate the Ars Sonora into UT’s music program.
The result in coming months will be a wide range of music played for the University community and public, in a way that’s truly unique.
Decades in the Making
Creating a musical sculpture that’s the first of its kind in the U.S. and largest in the world has taken years of planning. Thoughtful research has been done on every aspect of the Ars Sonora, from its musical quality, to its resilience to the elements, to its impact on the UT community. Here’s a look back at the highlights of how the project has unfolded over almost three decades.
A Feat of Planning and Engineering
The construction of the Ars Sonora on campus in recent months was actually the second time the structure had been constructed. To make sure everything fit together correctly, the Ars Sonora was first test-built onsite at Satil, the manufacturer in Chambéry, France.
After the structure was built and tested to the team’s satisfaction — you could say that the process was like putting together a highly complicated erector set — the Ars Sonora was disassembled, put in nine containers and shipped to Tampa. The second round of construction, on campus, went quickly and easily, thanks to how the team had planned ahead.
Construction of the Ars Sonora began on campus in January 2022 and was completed in early February. Photograph: Madison Shorle ’22
“There are differences in construction measurements and methods between the U.S. and Europe,” said Scott Gossen, director of design and construction for the University. “We bridged any issues that came up, though. The French and American teams worked well together, a critical facet of a project that involved a lot of real-time problem-solving.”
The Ars Sonora is anchored by 18 drilled piers that are embedded up to 80 feet below ground level. Photograph by Jamie Pilarczyk MBA ’13, M.S. ’13
Another Example of Extraordinary Generosity
UT’s Ars Sonora is just the latest example of how Susan and John Sykes have helped transform the University and the Tampa Bay community since John Sykes built Tampa-based Sykes Enterprises into a national leader in technology solutions.
The Sykeses have supported the University for decades, from funding the Sykes Chapel, the Vaughn Center and the Sykes College of Business facility to endowing UT’s Center for Ethics.
“We share Dr. Vaughn’s belief in the importance of building the character of the student on campus,” Susan Sykes said. “That’s why we were very excited to be a part of the building of the chapel, and now, to be completing this place of inspiration and reflection with the Ars Sonora and plaza.”
Susan and John Sykes took an active role in the planning of the project, including taking a trip to Annecy, France, to meet with the Paccard family and to see how bells are manufactured.
“This has been such an exciting project, and to see the Ars Sonora and Sykes Plaza add to the Sykes legacy has been so gratifying to watch,” said Renée Vaughn, the University’s first lady. “No one has had a larger impact on the University’s success, and the Sykes Plaza and the Ars Sonora are perfect symbols of their commitment to the University and its students.”
Josh Cessna ’16, staff pianist and Ars Sonora curator, with donors Susan and John Sykes, at the opening concert in October. Photograph: Marsha Kemp
The Stradivarius of Bells
The Paccard family has been manufacturing bells since 1796, and their bells stand the test of time. In fact, their first bell is still operating today, and the family has manufactured more than 120,000 bells since the company’s founding.
When the Paccard Bell Foundry began making bells in the 1700s and 1800s in Annecy, France, bells were used as a way for residents to know the time. Now, Paccard’s bells are in all sorts of settings, from churches and public spaces to private residences and shopping malls.
The team at Paccard Bell Foundry has been perfecting the innovative Ars Sonora concept over the past two decades. Photograph: Yannick Perrin
While the company’s Ars Sonora technology is fairly new, Paccard’s tried-and-true method of manufacturing bells hasn’t changed much since 1796.
The bells are created from molds that are hand-crafted by artisans with decades of experience, watching every detail related to how each bell looks. And after each bell is poured, similar care goes into how it sounds. By trimming the inside of the bell ever so slightly, a Paccard expert can adjust the bell’s tone to the optimal pitch.
Among the company’s most famous bells are “La Savoyarde,” an 18,835-pound bell at the Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Paris; “Jeanne d’Arc” in Rouen, France, a bell honoring French heroine Joan of Arc; and the “World Peace Bell” in Newport, Kentucky, the world’s largest swinging bell at 75,837 pounds.
Sykes Plaza: A Spartan Sanctuary
The Ars Sonora is a striking achievement of musical technology. But most importantly, it is a part of the campus devoted to the University’s focus on the entire student.
The musical structure is the focus of Sykes Plaza, which with the Sykes Chapel forms a place in the middle of campus that will be used for inspiration, reflection and entertainment. The University will be planning a number of concerts for the upcoming months, while the plaza’s landscaping, lighting and seating are designed to make it a welcoming place anytime.
The Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values, the Susan and John Sykes Ars Sonora and Sykes Plaza provide inspirational settings for students to reflect, gather and interact. Photograph: Marc Vaughn
A majestic fountain sits at the base of the Ars Sonora, with cascades of water flowing over the fountain’s textured granite skirt. At night, hundreds of energy-efficient LED lights give the area a completely different look.
And when you look at Sykes Plaza from the air, you can see that it was designed in the shape of a lotus blossom, which in many cultures is a symbol of purity, enlightenment, self-regeneration and rebirth. Such details were the result of hundreds of hours of painstaking planning: president Vaughn and the project team worked with national-level design experts to think about every facet of how the area would look and feel.
“The Susan and John Sykes Ars Sonora reflects our emphasis on looking at the University experience in a holistic manner,” Vaughn said. “It further complements the Sykes Chapel, as a way to show our commitment to focusing on values and developing the character of our students.”