“Science and music collide in ‘Black Hole Symphony’ at the Museum of Science”
“In its dedication to the new and unknown, Black Hole Symphony inspires as much as it informs.”
BLACK HOLE SYMPHONY is an immersive new production from the Museum of Science, Boston and Multiverse Concert Series. Audiences embark on an symphonic journey through spacetime, performed by a live chamber orchestra accompanied by stunning, immersive planetarium visuals by the animators of the Charles Hayden Planetarium. The show has reached over 4,000 audience members in 20+ performances.
This revolutionary new show is a unique collaboration between astrophysicists of the Harvard-Smithsonian CFA and Black Hole Initiative, animators from the Museum of Science, Boston and Multiverse musicians. Composer David Ibbett has sonified (light->sound) the light of black hole galaxies as musical notes and chords, woven into a dramatic electro-symphonic score that reveals a hidden universe beyond the scope of our eyes,
Over the course of an evening, audiences are plunged into deep space riding relativistic jets of plasma, guided through the dense dust torus, broad-line clouds, and ultimately reach the blazing accretion disk on the event horizon of a supermassive black hole.
Experience the unfolding story of black holes
as engines of gravity, light, and creation
through a groundbreaking fusion of
art, science and music!
Now booking National and International Tour
Interested in booking or performing Black Hole Symphony?
Versions available for chamber or full symphony orchestra
Contact connect@multiverseseries.org
“Bringing the science of the universe to everyday listeners through music.”
“Science and music illuminated the wonders of the larger cosmos within that seemingly microcosmic dome”
“The plasma dive is EPIC!! An incredible experience in the dome theatre... very trippy visuals! The music score is fantastic and really elevates/highlights the activities in the imagery.
”
“Your stuff SO captures the essence [of black holes] - it’s insane!”
Black Hole Symphony’s score is informed by science: the sonification of astrophysics data
Read the Cosmic Traveler’s Guide:
the show accompanying booklet on the rich science of black holes and how this data is woven into music
Images from our 2023 Tour to the National Academy of Sciences, DC
Photos © Bruce Guthrie
Black Hole Symphony Feature on GBH News with
Jim Braude and Margery Eagan
(music starts at 2h 15 min)
Clips from the Score
Press Articles
Boston Globe: Science and music collide in
‘Black Hole Symphony’ at the Museum of Science by Karen Campbell
New Scientist: Black Hole Symphony preview:
Orchestral work blends science with music by Bethan Ackerly
Boston Music Intelligencer: Synesthesia to the Nth Degree by Stephanie Oestreich
WGH News: Black Hole Symphony Translates the Sounds of Black Holes into Orchestral Music by Rebecca Tauber
Images from the Visuals and Premiere Performance
Photos by Rajarajan Palanimurugan
The Black Hole Symphony Team
Produced By
Museum of Science, Boston
Multiverse Concert Series
Science
Anna Barnacka, Lead Scientist, Harvard CFA
Mojegan Azadi, Harvard CFA
Martin Elvis, Harvard CFA
Peter Galison, Harvard University
Fabio Pacucci, Black Hole Initiative
Priya Natarajan, Yale, Black Hole Initiative
Dan Schwartz, Harvard CFA
Animation
The Museum of Science, Boston
Music
David Ibbett, composer, conductor
The Multiverse Symphony Players:
Agnes Coakley - soprano
Johnny Mok - cello
Matt Russo - guitar
Ryan Shannon - violin
Jessica Smith - flute/piccolo