Featuring The Consonance Collective and the Bergamot Quartet (Peabody Institute).

Presenting “Hearing Stars,” a visual album of string quartets depicting the life cycles of stars produced by the Consonance Collective with support from the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI).

The album follows the stars through five stages: 1) protostar (Celeste Forma), 2) star system (Iridescence), 3) supernova (SN 1054), 4) black hole (Beyond the Horizon), and 5) dark matter (Dark Mysteries).

Created over the last year, the composers of the collective—graduates of the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University—wrote original pieces for the Bergamot Quartet based on these stellar life stages, with STScI providing photos, visualizations, and access to scientists.

Join the Consonance Collective and the Bergamot Quartet from Peabody Institute for a free online lecture by the composers who focused on science themes and Hubble imagery for their work.

This special collaboration may be heard in advance of the live event:

• Celeste Forma (Protostar) by Bobby Ge
• Iridescence (Star System) by Zach Gulaboff Davis
• SN 1054 (Supernova) by Seo Yoon Kim
• Beyond the Horizon (Black Hole) by Gu Wei
• Dark Mysteries (Dark Matter) by Daniel Despins

This project was made possible by funding from the Maryland State Arts Council, the Jersey City Arts Council, and the Awesome Foundation.

Recorded live on Tuesday, May 4, 2021.

The STScI Public Lecture Series offers talks on a diverse selection of cosmic topics, typically held the first Tuesday of every month. The 2021 Public Lecture Series is continuing an online-only format. This lecture will be presented with a livestream to YouTube, and questions can be asked in the YouTube chat. As usual, the recording will also be posted on our YouTube channel. We will, as necessary, adjust from the traditional first Tuesday at 8 PM schedule to accommodate our speakers.

Live and archived recordings:

• Finding the Music of the Spheres: Hearing Stars (YouTube)