NewsHillsborough County

Actions

University of Tampa to install massive 105-foot musical instrument featuring 63 bronze bells

Ars Sonora to be finished by mid-2022
Screen Shot 2021-08-10 at 10.22.16 PM.png
Posted at 4:20 AM, Aug 11, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-11 07:20:20-04

TAMPA, Fla. — It will be 105 feet tall.

It will hold 63 ringing bronze bells hand-made by France's historic Paccard Bell Foundry.

And it will have a name that sounds like something out of science fiction.

By mid-2022, the already-gorgeous University of Tampa campus will also feature the Ars Sonora, a massive musical sculpture looming majestically next to the Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values.

It will be the only one of its kind in the world.

"This has been in the making for more than two decades," says Eric Cardenas UT's director of public information.

The Ars Sonora represents the second phase of expansion for the beautiful Sykes Chapel and its peaceful plaza, "a place where students can come to contemplate and meditate," adds Cardenas.

The Ars Sonora bells will actually be played via a keyboard inside the chapel, and can accompany vocalists, orchestras and more.

University of Tampa benefactors Susan and John Sykes are largely responsible for building the Ars Sonora.