International Space Orchestra

The International Space Orchestra group picture in front of Vacuum Chambers, NASA Ames Research Center, Thursday September 6, 2012. Photo by Neil Berrett
© Nelly Ben Hayoun

The International Space Orchestra (ISO) is a team of space scientists from the NASA Ames Research Center, SETI Institute (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), Singularity University, and the International Space University.[1][2]

The International Space Orchestra was created, assembled and is currently directed by designer of experiences and director Nelly Ben Hayoun.[3] The musical director of ISO is the two-time Grammy award winner, violinist and composer, Evan Price.[4]

Members of the International Space Orchestra include LCROSS/LADEE NASA Flight Director Rusty Hunt, NASA Ames Research Center Deputy Director Lewis S. G. Braxton III and NASA astronaut Yvonne Cagle.

Public space outreach

In the summer of 2012 in California, ISO performed Ground Control: An Opera in Space, a 27-minute-long performance part scripted and based on the reenactment of the Apollo 11's mission control and part musical. Ground Control: An Opera in Space was composed by a team including Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz, Bobby Womack, Richard Russell, Mike Smith (Music Director of Gorillaz), Arthur Jeffes of Penguin Café, Maywa Denki (inventor of Otamatone), and Evan Price, with a libretto by science-fiction author Bruce Sterling and Jasmina Tesanovic.[5]

ISO's first performance took place in front of the 80 by 120 foot wind tunnel (world's largest) located at NASA Ames Research Center and its second in San Jose, California during the ZERO1 Biennial (North America's most significant showcase of work at the nexus of art and technology).

In addition, public talks by leading NASA and SETI Institute (Search for Extraterrestrial Life) scientists were curated by Nelly Ben Hayoun, giving insights into missions that inspired the musical composition. These included presentations by SETI Institute (Search for Extraterrestrial Life) Director of Research Gerry Harp, NASA Ames Research Center Chief Scientist Jacob Cohen, Kepler Mission Manager Roger Hunter and LCROSS/ LADEE NASA Flight Director Rusty Hunt.

In January 2013, the International Space Orchestra feature film had its world premiere at the Rotterdam International Film Festival where it was acclaimed by the critic as a "masterpiece" (Independent Cinema Office, ICO),[6] a "real achievement" (DOMUS),[7] "as thrilling as watching a rocket launch" and "Spine Tingling" (The Guardian).

In May 2013, the International Space Orchestra performed at the Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco in front of 2,700 people with singer Beck.[8]

On April 19, 2016, the International Space Orchestra performed at the historic Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco with the all-female British rock group the Savages.

On September 24, 2016, the International Space Orchestra opened for the Icelandic group Sigur Ros, playing the Sigur Ros songs Vidrar, Olsen Olsen, Hoppipola and Hafsol (orchestrated and conducted by Gordon Lustig) to a sold-out audience of 17,500 at the Hollywood Bowl. After their set, members of ISO also performed outreach as "Space Vikings" to members of the audience, educating the audience on space research related topics.

As well as being an unconventional public space outreach event, ISO also acts as an experiential and hybrid interdisciplinary research environment in which space scientists and engineers were invited to implement, deconstruct, perform, sing, mix, modify, and design musical acts in control rooms, acting as a provocation to imagine and disrupt human relationships with science and technology.

Satellite carrying recordings in orbit

Ground Control: An Opera in Space was recorded at Skywalker Ranch, George Lucas' studio, where Star Wars was developed.[9]

On 4 August 2013, two ArduSat (Arduino based Nanosatellite run by the company Nanosatisfi) carrying the ISO recordings were launched aboard the H-IIB Launch Vehicle, HTV-4 from Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the Tanegashima Space Centre. A video of the launch is available for public access online.[10]

On 19 November 2013, these ArduSat got released from the International Space Station by the six-member Expedition 38 crew. The orbiting residents worked with mission controllers around the world on deploying the ArduSat from Kibo’s airlock Tuesday 19 at 7:10 a.m. EST.[11]

Members of the International Space Orchestra

Choir Members

References

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/29/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.