Mount Wilson 100-inch Telescope Dome will be the site of the concert series (Photo – Van Webster).
Mt. Wilson Observatory is offering music lovers a chance to listen to attend concerts in the 100-Inch Telescope Dome on Mount Wilson overlooking Pasadena and the San Gabriel valley.
The concerts, in their second season, are presented on the first Sunday of each month, through October, with two performances at 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm.
Artistic Director Cécilia Tsan returns with musicians who are all luminaries on the local and international music scene. Original compositions by Los Angeles composers Bruce Broughton, Todd Mason, and Bruce Babcock will be premiered at the July 1st concert.
Upcoming concert
On Sunday, July 1, 2018, Artistic Director Cecilia Tsan will bring together the largest musical ensemble yet to perform in the MWO concert series for a string music extravaganza.
The artists will perform Brahms, Theme and Variations, Op. 18; Schoenberg, Verklarte Nacht; and Babcock, Watcher of the Sky, World Premier.
The premier of Watcher of the Sky string quartet is particularly relevant to the Mt. Wilson Observatory Concert Series. Composed by Bruce Babcock and commissioned by Dan Kohne and the Mt. Wilson Institute for the sesquicentennial anniversary of the birth of the Mt. Wilson Obervatory’s founder, George Ellery Hale. Composer Bruce Babcock’s grandfather, H.D. Babcock, was hired in 1909 as an astronomer by George Ellery Hale. Babcock’s father, H.W. Babcock, joined the staff in 1949, becoming Director of the Observatory in 1964.
Performing in the group will be Tereza Stanislav and Jessica Guideri on violin. Violists will be Robert Brophy and Alma Fernandez. Artistic Director, Cecilia Tsan will be joined by Eric Byers on cello. Presented in the historic dome of the 100” telescope, the building’s acoustics are particularly flattering to string instruments.
The identical program will be offered in two performances, one at 3:00 PM and one at 5:00 PM. There will be a reception with the artists following each performance.
Exhibition
In addition, concert-goers will be treated to an exhibition featuring rare scientific artifacts, drawings, and illustrations from the Observatory’s collection.
Tickets for these concert events may be purchased here.
Date/Time 07/01/2018 3:00 pm Location Mount Wilson Observatory
The 100-inch telescope is the instrument with which astronomer Edwin Hubble discovered our place in an expanding universe and so expanded our comprehension. The dome for the telescope is a 20th century temple to science whose acoustics rival the great cathedrals of Europe and provides a unique setting for this ambitious music series.
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