"Above and Beyond" Celebrates Chandra and CfA at the Hirshhorn
A symphonic event at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden on November 16th 2024 provided a remarkable opportunity to celebrate 25 years with the Chandra X-ray Observatory on the Mall in Washington, D.C. The free program, entitled "Above and Beyond," was built around Chandra’s milestone anniversary and featured the premiere of "Where Parallel Lines Converge." This original piece by composer Sophie Kastner, created with Chandra and alongside CXC experts, was inspired by the Chandra sonifications of the Galactic Center region. The ensemble musicians were from the 21st Century Consort and their performance was outstanding. In addition to the music, there was a selection of space imagery/video that helped showcase Chandra science. Dr. Kimberly Arcand of the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian (CfA) was on hand for a special conductor’s discussion and question-and-answer session before the performance along with other invited guests, and there was a brief reception afterwards.
Photo: NASA/CXC/K.Arcand.
Many thanks to the Hirshhorn, which celebrates its own 50th anniversary this year, and the Smithsonian staff that helped bring a piece of the Universe down to Earth.
-Megan Watzke, CXC
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