Simply Divine

Art of Life — Produced by Karen Smyles

The Divine Hand Ensemble was founded by Mano Divina who is world renowned for his performances on the theremin. The theremin is the world’s first electronic instrument ever invented, and remains to this day the only instrument that is played without any physical contact from the musician. It is named after its Russian inventor Leon Theremin who patented the device in 1928.

Divina felt it was his mission to bring this rare and unusual artform back in front of the public because many people had never seen or heard of the instrument. So he began performing as a solo artist and went on to put together a passionate and talented group of musicians, all from the Philadelphia area. They are all trained classically, however, diverse enough to play various types of music, which you will often hear in performances.

The ensemble might be performing in a formal concert setting one week, and the next will be performing in front of a masoleum in Laurel Hill Cemetery. The music crosses all boundaries, as do the audiences attending their concerts.

Friday Arts visited the Divine Hand Ensemble as they rehearsed for an upcoming performance in their Lansdale studio. We also sat down with Divina to find out how this beautiful music all comes together.


Behind the Theremin: Making Music Out of Thin Air

A look at the history behind the Theremin and how it evolved into a serious instrument. Edited by Alex Hutflus

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