A member of the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra plays an instrument made of paprika, cucumber, and a carrot during a concert. Associated Press / Photo by Alik Keplicz

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: Here’s a story that’ll be music to your ears, freshly picked and ready to play.
The Vienna Vegetable Orchestra is the world’s first music group to carve instruments straight out of the produce aisle.
Have a listen:
SOUND: [Veggie orchestra playing]
With hundreds of performances over nearly three decades, Guinness World Records now officially recognizes the group.
They go through about 70 pounds of fresh veggies for each concert. Here’s co-founder Matthias Muhtheeus Meinharter on the Sean Moncrieff CREEF podcast:
MEINHARTER: There are some ready-made, for example the leek violin. You can use it fresh from the market, actually. We take the cabbage and we smash the like a 70s rock concert. Of course the stage is messed up.
I’ll bet! Now, no preservatives on those instruments, so the performers carve new ones before every show. Carrot recorders, pumpkin drums, bell pepper horns, radish whistles, truly a farm-to-stage experience.
It’s The World and Everything in It.
WORLD Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of WORLD Radio programming is the audio record.
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