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CNN World Report

Fresh Vegetables Provide Great Music in Vienna

Aired June 10, 2001 - 14:55   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
OCTAVIA NASR, CNN ANCHOR: Finally, we have to introduce you to a group of unusual musicians who play some equally unusual instruments. In a typical performance, the ensemble has nine musicians, all in black, and one cook. Why a cook? Austria's ORF explains.

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KATINKA NOWOTNY, ORF TV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): No, these are not regular shoppers. Whenever a small group of friends turns up at the local market, they are not just buying vegetables; they are looking for instruments. They are the founders of the first vegetable orchestra, the first orchestra where all the instruments are edible. These veggies are their instruments.

You probably have not thought of it, but it all makes a sound -- and to some, it's music.

JVRG PIRINGER, ORCHESTRA CO-FOUNDER: Just for making noise, like rubbing, scrubbing and the radish is a wind instrument, like a trumpet. Or you can also use it as a marimba.

NOWOTNY: They spent about $35 on groceries for each concert. Every instrument has to be newly craft. Then fine tuned.

Even their love for vegatables has brought them together, most of them are not vegetarians.

They just love to play with food and create things like the cucumberophone and mixed up carrots and cucumber and peppers. How did it all start?

NIKLAUS GANSTERER, ORCHESTRA CO-FOUNDER: One day while cooking we had the idea of one big orchestra, was tomatoes in their hands, and from this moment on, we started to hear music in a new way.

NOWOTNY: They play everything from classics to modern compositions. The music may not appeal to everyone's taste, but it is as fresh as ever.

They even made their own album and they give many concerts. The orchestra founded has cooked up another idea: they didn't want to spoil the food, so they hired a cook -- at the end of each concert, all the instruments end up in a soup pot.

Katinka Nowotny, Vienna, for the CNN WORLD REPORT.

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