One of the world’s oldest and most prestigious music institutions, Russia’s Gnessen
Academy of Music was formed in 1946. Its roots run even deeper, with the original
Gnessen Institute founded in February of 1895. The school counts among its alumni
some of the world’s most famed musicians, composers, producers, and conductors,
including legendary artists like Boris Berezovsky, Aram Khachaturian, Alla Pavlova,
and t.A.T.u.’s Julia Volkova.
The Gnessen Academy recently completed construction on a new performance
venue. Professional audio/video integrators Avallon were called in to design and
install audio and video systems for the intimate 150-seat venue, including state-of-
the-art recording facilities and a high-performance sound system featuring left and
right Renkus-Heinz IC2 digitally steerable line arrays, each paired with IC212S-FR
subwoofers.
“The Renkus-Heinz IC2 system was the ideal choice for this venue,” explains
Avallon’s Sergey Vashchenko. “Because of the hall’s low ceiling, hanging a line
array would have been impractical. With the ICONYX steered beam technology, we
were able to ground stack the system at the sides of the stage and still aim and
focus the sound precisely on the audience, minimizing reflections from the walls
and other surfaces.”
Avallon reports that the school’s faculty and students have been exceptionally
pleased with the new system. “The IC2 system delivers excellent, full-range
performance with more than enough power,” says Vashchenko.
