Yolanda Kondonassis | Harp

Earth at Heart is a non-profit organization with the mission of increasing earth conservation awareness through the portal of the arts. Climate change, air quality, water pollution, man-made disasters, and diminishing resources are all inconvenient topics that have become increasingly politicized. Sometimes we instinctively know something deserves our attention, but we need a bit of inspiration to push us into action. As a musician, I see the profound impact of the arts all around me on a daily basis. That is why I founded Earth at Heart ®. When we see an idea or an event expressed in the language of music, dance, visual art, or poetry, those sensory experiences often open the mind and heart to interaction and reaction in ways that mere facts may not. With every passing moment, we lose ground in the battle to protect our environment from the dire consequences of waste, neglect, and abuse. Action is the goal, but a visceral call to engagement can be the catalyst. There is not a minute to lose in our battle to protect the future of our planet, and an open heart and inspired commitment can make all the difference.

- Yolanda Kondonassis

Founder and Director of Earth at Heart

FIVE MINUTES for Earth® is a project that both celebrates our planet and illuminates our challenge to preserve it. The composers featured in this collection were tasked with creating works or soundscapes of five minutes or less in length that express a powerful experience inspired by Earth in one of its many conditions or atmospheres. FIVE MINUTES is also a metaphor for the urgent and compressed timeframe that remains for our global community to find and implement solutions to the environmental crisis. Each work in the FIVE MINUTES project is a generous contribution by the composer to Earth conservation.

The concept of the project is built upon the idea of bringing the classical music community together in support of earth conservation and “paying it forward” through one’s artistic contribution, where the creation and performance of music actually generates funding for earth causes. After the works are premiered and released on recording by Yolanda Kondonassis, the music will be available to harpists worldwide, and for each verified performance of any work in the FIVE MINUTES collection - by any harpist, anywhere in the world - Earth at Heart will make a donation to a recognized earth conservation organization.

Kondonassis's world premiere recording of the new pieces is now available on Azica Records. Listen >