About

Experimental Sound Studio (ESS) seeks proposals for four-channel sound compositions created for installation in the Lincoln Park Conservatory Fern Room in Chicago, IL as part of ESS’s Florasonic series. 

One of the only ongoing sound installation programs in the U.S., Florasonic has commissioned 47 original works since 2001. In celebration of Florasonic’s 25th anniversary, ESS and the Lincoln Park Conservatory are launching the first open call for proposals in the series’ history.

Proposed projects should showcase the unique potential of multichannel sound in this highly public context, demonstrating consideration for the location, which serves as a sanctuary and space of meditative calm and wonder for visitors of all ages and backgrounds. The most successful proposals will support and enhance the atmosphere—both the plants and people that occupy it—of the Lincoln Park Conservatory Fern Room.  

The selected work(s) will play throughout open hours at the Conservatory. Each artist/artist team will receive a $1,500 artist fee. This call is open to anyone in the world, however ESS can only support domestic travel. There may be additional paid opportunities for live performance or other live activations in the space during the installation run, pending approval by ESS and Lincoln Park Conservatory.

Proposals are due Sunday, June 14, 2026 by midnight.

OVERVIEW

Presentation location: Lincoln Park Conservatory Fern Room, Chicago

Timeline:

Sunday, June 14: Proposals Due
Wednesday, July 1: Notification of results
Monday, August 10: Sound works due to ESS
During August 10-15: Soundcheck at the Conservatory
Sunday, August 23: Florasonic 25th Anniversary Installation Opens
Sunday, October 11: Installation closing

Lead presenting partners:
Florasonic is developed by Experimental Sound Studio and is presented in partnership with the Lincoln Park Conservatory. This year’s program is supported by the Paul M. Angell Foundation.

Technical considerations:

• Works should be between 10-60 minutes long; all works will have a period of silence between playback

• Works should utilize the full potential of the 4-channel system

• ESS can provide up to 8 hours of technical support with mastering, spatialization, and speaker distribution for the final playback for artists who demonstrate a clear vision for the work, but need technical assistance in realizing it.

• ESS will not be assisting with any production of the audio composition such as recording, mixing, editing, and arrangement.
  Selected artists will need to submit a 4 channel interleaved audio file or 4 mono files in .wav format

 

Selection process: 

Proposals are reviewed and selected by a panel comprised of experts from the field, Lincoln Park Conservatory staff, and ESS staff. The most successful proposals will showcase the unique potential of multichannel sound in this highly public context, and support and enhance the atmosphere—both the plants and people that occupy it—of the Lincoln Park Conservatory Fern Room.