Discover Science Through Music
Concerts
July 26th, 7:30pm
Octave of Light with the Firebird Pops Orchestra
Veterans Memorial Auditorium
525 Main Street, Wakefield, MA 01880
The Firebird Pops once again joins forces with composer Dr. David Ibbett and the Multiverse Concert Series for a groundbreaking performance of Octave of Light — a genre-blending, science-inspired musical exploration of exoplanets and the search for life beyond Earth.
Jessica Mink, Exoplanet Scientist CfA
Originally written for soprano, electronics, and chamber ensemble, Octave of Light comes to life in a new orchestral arrangement for this special performance, featuring David Ibbett on piano and electronics, sopranos Beth Sterling and Motomi Tanaka, and guest scientist Jessica Mink from the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian. Drawing on real scientific data and developed in collaboration with Roy Gould of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, the music sonifies the spectra of distant planets — translating light into sound.
Fusing classical tradition with electronic music and scientific storytelling, this concert invites audiences on a journey across the stars, where music becomes a bridge between art and discovery.
August 9th, 2025
Mars Symphony
Worcester EcoTarium
Two Show Times: 6:00 & 8:00 pm
Location: The Alden Planetarium
Tickets: $31 for non-members | $21 for members
Space is limited – reserve your seat today! Tickets may not be available to purchase at the door.
Experience the distant universe made real through art, science, and music, at the EcoTarium! Join us for an interplanetary symphony of science performed live by a chamber orchestra of Multiverse players, led by conductor and composer David Ibbett, under the immersive fulldome of the Alden Planetarium.
Created in collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the Museum of Science, composer David Ibbett’s score reveals the music of Mars in a groundbreaking Planetarium experience, with live orchestra from Multiverse Concert Series.
Multiverse Concert Series and the Museum of Science, Boston partnered for a new collaboration: Mars Symphony.
In this performance, composer David Ibbett’s score reveals the music of Mars: transforming its natural sounds into “Martian synths” designed by his WPI Music and Science Lab. Immerse yourself in the rush of Mars’ winds, dust devils, and seismic rumbles, complemented by orchestral melodies driven by the geography (areography) and light spectra from the Red Planet. It’s all informed by a science team from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL), the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and ETH Zurich, incorporating cutting-edge audio and data from the Perseverance Rover and Webb Space Telescope. It’s topped off and visualized by fulldome projections from the Planetarium’s award-winning team.
Through its unique blend of live music, science research, and immersive visuals, Mars Symphony charts an interplanetary journey through the past, present, and future of the Red Planet. As we follow the development of modern rocketry and robotic missions of this present moment, humanity’s dream of reaching Mars seems almost a reality. Will our generation be the first to reach the Red Planet, and could Mars be home to life beyond Earth?
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