London – September 14, 2018 – Harman Kardon presents its new line of Citation speakers for the first time in the UK as part of “Memory & Light”, a magnificent blend of music and design. The installation, part of the 2018 programme of commissioned projects at the V&A for London Design Festival, has been created by esteemed UK designers / engineers Arup and is inspired by, and features music from, the world’s most performed composer Arvo Pärt.

For more than 65 years, Harman Kardon has been leading audio engineering and design, captivating ears and hearts throughout generations, and the Citation speakers, unveiled at IFA 2018, represents its latest feat. Combining superior sound performance, state-of-the-art voice control and breathtaking design, a selection of Citation speakers will be used in the installation to play four of Arvo Pärt’s most famous pieces including “Spiegel im Spiegel” (Mirror in the Mirror).

This multi-sensory installation sees the signature industrial design of Harman Kardon sit beautifully in the intimate, 18th Century, Norfolk House Music Room at the world-renowned V&A Museum, a combination that the innovative design concepts of Arup have made possible.

 

British educated designer, Gianni Teruzzi of Harman Kardon who was lead designer on the Citation Series comments:

“The entire design team at Harman Kardon is honoured that Citation has been selected to be part of this incredible installation. The mix of contemporary design and traditional materials that we have used in creating Citation mirrors our partners in this project perfectly.”

“Citation was designed with a timeless, effortless aesthetic in mind, a product at ease in any room and we are incredibly excited to see how Arup has integrated the speakers in the installation as part of the world-famous London Design Festival.”

 

Curator, Clare Farrow highlights the unique beauty of the venue:

“Memory & Light” is a unique meeting of music and design by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt (the most performed living composer for the past seven years) and the world’s leading engineers and designers Arup.”

“The setting – a special honour to be given to a contemporary installation at the V&A for the London Design Festival – is the magnificent 18th-century Norfolk House Music Room, an intimate music salon decorated in white and gold with musical motifs, gilded mirrors and panelled doors, designed in 1756 and rescued by the V&A when Norfolk House was being demolished in the 1930s. It is a testament to the love of music, which transcends time.”

“With Harman Kardon’s wonderful contribution to this project, ‘Memory & Light’ can become the continuous dialogue that we have envisioned: a conversation between music and design, between the past and the present, between creativity and new technology, bringing to life the beautiful words and moving sounds of Arvo Pärt.”

The installation is open to the public from 15-23 September 2018 at the V&A Museum.

 

ABOUT THE CITATION SERIES

The Citation Series delivers a dynamic listening experience, with options to use the speakers individually or build a powerful 5.1-channel surround sound system. Its multi-room capabilities allow for the control of amazing sound from any room, either playing from one music source or playing different tracks in different rooms.

The speakers feature the brand’s signature industrial design accented with thoughtful elements, including elegant aluminium detailing. Bringing the refined and sleek look together is the Winter Grey or Classic Black wool fabric from Kvadrat, the European leader in acoustic textiles.

To round out the incredible audio performance and extraordinary design, Citation also features Google Assistant. Streaming the newest or most popular music is now quick and efficient with Google’s intelligent voice-activation. Smart voice control also makes tackling tasks as simple as saying “Hey Google,” to create calendar reminders, generate to-do lists, get the latest forecast, control smart home devices* and more. Commands like “Hey Google, play some jazz” or “Hey Google, dim the lights,” perfectly regulates the ambiance in any room of the home.

 

Further information

For more information on London Design Festival and the Memory & Light project please click here.

For more details and images of the Harman Kardon Citation Series please click here.

 

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ABOUT HARMAN KARDON

World-renowned audio brand Harman Kardon seamlessly merges function and form. Beloved for iconic design and exceptional sound, Harman Kardon products provide sophisticated audio in a premium package. Harman Kardon is part of HARMAN International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co, LTD.

ABOUT HARMAN

HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions; and services supporting the Internet of Things.  With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. More than 50 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected car systems. Our software services power billions of mobile devices and systems that are connected, integrated and secure across all platforms, from work and home to car and mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 30,000 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. In 2017, HARMAN became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.