Nelly Ben Hayoun and team have just arrived in California! This mark the beginning of the International Space Orchestra!

The International Space Orchestra has lift off!

Blending space science, planet-poking and bluegrass-playing spacecraft operators, the world’s first orchestra composed of space scientists is coming together to broadcast the first-ever orchestral recording directly into deep space.

The International Space Orchestra is composed entirely of NASA staff and their collaborators, including SETI (Search for Extra-terrestrial Intelligence), Singularity University, Google and the International Space University (ISU).

The International Space Orchestra is being assembled and directed by director and experience designer, Nelly Ben Hayoun. Working with Nelly Ben Hayoun are an all-star team of collaborators, including composer Arthur Jeffes, leader of Penguin Café Orchestra; Japanese superstar and performance artist, Maywa Denki; and science fiction author, Bruce Sterling in collaboration with author Jasmina Tešanović . The International Space Orchestra’s musical director is Grammy-award winning composer and arranger, Evan Price.

The International Space Orchestra will make their world premiere on September 13th 2012 at the ZERO1 Biennale in San Jose, California. The ZERO1 Biennial is North America’s most significant showcase of work at the nexus of art and technology.

The project’s mission is to draw attention to space science at the most monumental time in its history. An exciting new era of private space travel and exploration is underway, fuelled by commercial space companies such as Virgin Galactic, Space X and Google, and projects such as near-earth asteroid mining and reaching Mars are back on the agenda.

The International Space Orchestra is currently rehearsing with Nelly Ben Hayoun and Evan Price at NASA Ames, California.

The International Space Orchestra is commissioned by ZERO1 Biennial, and supported by Z33, House for Contemporary Arts.
Ben Hayoun will be in residence at Montalvo Arts Center July-September 2012 . The 2012 ZERO1 Biennial will take place September 12 – December 8, 2012 and proposes that contemporary art practice can re-imagine the idea, the place, and the experience of Silicon Valley.