What do pulsating neutron stars have in common with drum machines? And what would a black hole sound like, if we could hear it? These are the kinds of intriguing questions the Dresdner Sinfoniker and three renowned astronomers explored in Sound of the Universe. The evening was dedicated to the sound of the cosmos and the fascinating history of its exploration, from antiquity to the present day. While the Dresdner Sinfoniker performed live at the Planetarium Bochum, musicians from India joined in via live stream. With their transcontinental concert, they bridged a distance of 6,240 km.

The performance was streamed live via YouTube. Watch it here!

This extraordinary event celebrated the 100th anniversary of projection planetariums. The first one in the world began operation in 1925. Since then, millions of people have experienced projected stars and images of the cosmos in breathtaking brilliance. How the otherwise silent universe can be transformed into sound was demonstrated this evening by three astronomers from Bochum, Jaipur, and Alexandria. In Jaipur, Maharaja Jai Singh built grand observatories in the early 18th century. The Egyptian metropolis of Alexandria is home to a library that collected astonishing knowledge about the cosmos more than 2,000 years ago. The philosopher and astronomer Ptolemy once worked in Alexandria. By assuming that the round Earth stood at the center of the universe, he was able to accurately predict the positions of the planets—even though this required them to orbit on nested paths around the blue planet. Ptolemy wasn’t entirely correct, but his model shaped humanity’s worldview for the next 1,500 years. A rich foundation for a fascinating dialogue-concert that not only the audience in the Bochum Planetarium experienced live, but also listeners in India and Egypt.

The concert was broadcast via YouTube to planetariums and interested audiences around the world.

A production by the Dresdner Sinfoniker in cooperation with the Planetarium Bochum. The Dresdner Sinfoniker are supported by the Saxon State Ministry for Science, Culture and Tourism and by the City of Dresden through the Office for Culture and Monument Protection. They are co-financed by tax funds based on the budget passed by the Saxon State Parliament.