Science and music collide in ‘Black Hole Symphony’ at the Museum of Science
— Karen Campbell, Boston Globe
In its dedication to the new and unknown, Black Hole Symphony inspires as much as it informs.
— New Scientist, Bethan Ackerly

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.
— GBH News
Science and music illuminated the wonders of the larger cosmos within that seemingly microcosmic dome
— Stephanie Oestereich, Boston Music Intelligencer
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.
— Drew Berry, Animator for Bjork, Biophilia
Your stuff SO captures the essence [of black holes] - it’s insane!
— Jim Braude to David Ibbett, GBH News

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



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