Graduate Spotlight: Konstantine Vlasis
Chattanooga, TN— Konstantine Vlasis, a 2009 graduate of Chattanooga School for Arts and Sciences (CSAS), is combining creativity with science to improve our understanding of the world–specifically, Iceland’s glaciers. A 2024 Fulbright-National Geographic Award recipient, Vlasis is blending his passions for music, science, and environmental conservation through his project, “When Glaciers Sing.” As an environmental composer, percussionist, and audio researcher, Vlasis is crafting an immersive audio story that explores the health of Iceland’s glaciers through the lens of sound. His innovative approach involves listening to the glaciers themselves and examining how traditional Icelandic songs have traced the human ecology of these icy landscapes throughout history.
Vlasis’s academic journey began in Chattanooga, where he immersed himself in the lively music programs at CSLA and CSAS. His studies took him to Tennessee Tech, where he earned an undergraduate degree in percussion performance, followed by graduate work at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. He later pursued a Ph.D. at New York University. For nearly a decade, Vlasis has visited Iceland to explore the sounds of its glaciers– combining his skills as a composer with audio technology to create a form of environmental storytelling.
“When Glaciers Sing” will be an “immersive audio experience, similar to a narrative podcast or audiobook, with really intense sound design,” he described. Vlasis uses specialty microphones, including binaural headsets and geophones, to capture the subtle and often hidden sounds of glaciers. The project aims to “communicate an often unheard story about Iceland's glaciers. It is a timely story about the meaning of sound, the power of song, and the urgency of listening to glaciers today,” Vlasis said. “Turning to songs and music as sources for environmental knowledge can give us insight into our environmental past and inspire us to shape our environmental future,” Vlasis says.
Vlasis’s work is truly unique, and something the vast majority would not get the opportunity to experience. However, his work shares his experiences and makes them accessible. He recalls a memory from his time in an ice cave last winter, using a geophone to pick up low frequencies on a glacier. “You can’t see a glacier move in real time, but when I pressed this microphone against the ice, you could hear the glacier move,” Vlasis said. “It was such an amazing experience and discovery. At that moment a lot of things made sense to me with this research. The value of listening to glaciers is that sound can teach us a lot about what they are, how they flow, and how they’re changing over time. It was a really beautiful moment.”
His work has been influenced by his mentors in Chattanooga, including Jim Ranson, Vlasis’s middle school band director, Chip Hancock, his private percussion instructor, Gary Wilkes, conductor for the Chattanooga Youth Symphony and CSAS string orchestra director, and Dr. Monte Coulter, percussion director. This support system taught Vlasis the joy of music, collaboration, and learning. “They really started this journey with me all those years ago,” he said. “My mentors were incredible. They taught me a great deal about things beyond just music.” Vlasis also holds a deep appreciation for his school teachers, some include Jamie Behler, Cindy Gaston, Dana Malone, Teresa Seymore, Mamie Hamler, Carmen Veller, Jean Anne Gardner, Nancy Houston, and Marilyn Chapman. Today, Vlasis continues to collaborate with environmental researchers, scientists, and traditional musicians. Looking ahead, he plans to expand “When Glaciers Sing” into a large-scale multimedia composition, combining his sound recordings, interviews, and more to make a “purely musical, art version.”
“The key to doing this is telling yourself you can and believing in yourself,” Vlasis said. “I wish I could tell my younger self, 'It's okay to make your own path. That's how creativity works, and how change can happen.’” Vlasis encourages students not to limit themselves and to pursue their passions. “And you don’t have to go out to glaciers in Iceland to do something impactful and amazing. My story began in Chattanooga. Yours can too. You just have to ask yourself, ‘how do I want to shape the world?’”
Konstantine Vlasis’s journey from Chattanooga to the glaciers of Iceland is a testament to the power of passion, perseverance, and the unique ways art and science can intersect. Through his project, “When Glaciers Sing,” Vlasis is telling the story of a changing environment and inviting the audience to listen in new and meaningful ways. As Vlasis continues on his journey of environmental storytelling, his work serves as an inspiring example for future generations of artists, scientists, conservationists, and more.
Relating to his research, some behind-the-scenes footage can be seen HERE.