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The chants of the Gyuto Monks shimmer above a tone so low it seems to boom from the earth itself. This otherworldly sound, based on one of the lowest fundamental pitches of any of the world’s throat-singing traditions, is a sacred offering to the Tibetan Buddhist deities and enlightened beings. Instruments in the Gyuto tradition serve to keep time and punctuate the extended chants, with everything from delicate cymbal-taps to blasts from the yards-long dungchen, an alpenhorn-like instrument played in pairs. Their sonic offerings, while transforming the performers’ mind and body with its demanding technique, serves a broader purpose - the call for the enlightenment and salvation of all beings.

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