‘Celeste Forma’ is about the process by which stars form. For Bobby Ge, stars have always held a paradoxical blend of beauty and violence: as wondrous as they are to behold from afar, up close they are raging thermonuclear explosions held together by their own gravity. As such, throughout his piece, the music veers between scratchy noises, nasty dissonances, and beautiful melodies. Cast in a broad, three-movement structure, the music begins nebulous and hazy, depicting the floating emptiness of the void. Slowly, as dust particles gravitate toward one another, the music increases in activity and introduces a three note, rising stepwise ostinato. Eventually, these swirling dust clouds collapse into protostars, and the viola introduces a hymn-like melody to herald the event. The music continues to intensify as infalling matter increases the protostar’s size, evolving into a rapid series of sequential modulations. The hymn reappears, threadlike and inchoate. As the protostar reaches T-Tauri phase and becomes increasingly unstable, the music disintegrates into violent slashes and scratchy effects. Finally, once enough mass has been cast off, the star stabilizes into its main sequence. The viola’s hymn recurs once more, this time in numinous grandeur. Stars begin to emerge throughout the universe - they are as terrifying as they are beautiful. The piece culminates in a grandiose, incandescent C major chord to celebrate the birth of the stars. Bobby Ge wants to extend my sincerest thanks to Space Telescope Science Institute researcher Massimo Robberto, whose wonderful insights into star formation were enthusiastically delivered and freely given. Composed by Bobby Ge: www.bobbygemusic.com Performed by the Bergamot Quartet (Ledah Finck and Sarah Jane Thomas, violins; Amy Tan, viola; Irene Han, cello): www.bergamotquartet.com Directed by Caroline Xia with videography by Rafhael Dungca Audio Engineering by Andrew Bohman Video/Image Credits: - 'Crab Nebula in Infrared', NASA, ESA, J. DePasquale (STScI), and R. Hurt (Caltech/IPAC) - 'The Whirlpool Galaxy' NASA, ESA, S. Beckwith (STScI), and the Hubble Heritage Team - 'Stephan's Quintet' NASA, ESA, and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team - 'Galaxy M106', NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/Aura), and R. Gendler (for the Hubble Heritage Team) - 'A 'Rose' of Galaxies', NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/Aura) - 'The Cosmic Reef', NASA, ESA, and STScI - 'The Cone Nebula', NASA, H. Ford (JHU), G. Illingworth (UCSC/LO), M.Clampin (STScI), G. Hartig (STScI), the ACS Science Team, and ESA - 'The Antennae Galaxy' NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/Aura)-ESA/Hubble Collaboration; Acknowledgment: B. Whitmore (STScI) - 'Flight Through the Orion Nebula' F. Summers, G. Bacon, Z. Levay, L. Frattare, M. Robberto and L. Hustak (STScI) Acknowledgment: R. Gendler - 'The Helix Nebula', NASA, ESA, C.R. O'Dell (Vanderbilt), M. Meixner and P. McCullough - 'Blue Stars Ring Nucleus of Galaxy AM 0644-741', NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/Aura); Acknowledgment: J. Higdon (Cornell) and I. Jordan (STScI) - 'Motion of Cosmic Gas', TNG Simulations - 'Interstellar Magnetic Field Strength', TNG Simulations - 'The Formation and Evolution of Pre-Stellar Discs', Matthew Bate, University of Exeter - 'The Statistical Properties of Stars and their Dependence on Metallicity', Matthew Bate, University of Exeter - 'Large Star Cluster Formation in 3D', Matthew Bate, University of Exeter - 'A Star's Life', Bryan Preston, Greg Bacon, and Thomas Goertel (STScI) and NASA - 'The Largest, Most Complex Hydrodynamical Star Formation Calculation Ever Performed', Matthew Bate, University of Exeter - 'Simulation of Galaxy Formation', Takayuki Saitoh, 4D2U Project, NAOJ - 'Formation of a Spiral Galaxy', Takayuki Saitoh, 4D2U Project, NAOJ

‘SN 1054’ is inspired by people who first observed and recorded the explosion of Supernova (SN) 1054, and the modern scientists who study its remnant, the Crab Nebula. 20th-century astronomers discovered that the Crab Nebula has continuously expanded since its creation and that it started from a point-like object about a thousand years ago. When astronomers searched for relevant ancient astronomical records, they found out Chinese documents of the year 1054 AD that depicted the sudden appearance of a bright star [1]: "Zhihe reign period, first year, seventh lunar month, 22nd day … Yang Weide said, ‘I humbly observe that a guest star has appeared; above the star in question there is a faint glow, yellow in color … It was seen in the daytime, like Venus. It had pointed rays in all directions and its color was pale red. In total it was seen (in daylight) for 23 days.’" History says that it was visible at night for two years and then gradually disappeared. The "new" star impressed not only Chinese astronomers but also scholars of Iraq and Native Americans in the Arizona region. With curiosity and awe, the astronomical event was observed and documented, which modern scientists identified as the death of a star, SN 1054. The SN 1054 and the Crab Nebula tell us how we study, explore, and accumulate knowledge through generations. It is the story of people who diligently observe and record unknown phenomena when there is no guarantee they will have an explanation in their lives. It is the story of people who step onto the stepping stones laid by their ancestors and finally find the answer to a long-awaited question. Even at this very moment, Seo Yoon imagines people are communicating with the past or future, laying out or stepping on the stone. A desire for knowledge is the driving force of human history. This music is a tribute to all our curiosities. Reference [1] [Stephenson, F.R., and Green, D.A., 2002. Historical Supernovae and their Remnants. Oxford, Oxford University Press.] Seo Yoon wishes to thank Dr. Kornpob Bhirombhakdi (Space Telescope Science Institute) for numerous fruitful discussions that inspired to write this music. Composed by Seo Yoon Soyoona Kim: https://www.youtube.com/user/lovescarlett07 Performed by the Bergamot Quartet (Ledah Finck and Sarah Jane Thomas, violins; Amy Tan, viola; Irene Han, cello): www.bergamotquartet.com Directed by Caroline Xia with videography by Rafhael Dungca Audio Engineering by Andrew Bohman Video/Image Credits: - “Stars glitter in the night sky above Earth’s atmospheric glow” - NASA, ISS, article - Dec. 31. 2019, editor - Mark Garcia - “Multiwavelength Crab Nebula” - NASA, ESA, G. Dubner (IAFE, CONICET-University of Buenos Aires) et al.; A. Loll et al.; T. Temim et al.; F. Seward et al.; VLA/NRAO/AUI/NSF; Chandra/CXC; Spitzer/JPL-Caltech; XMM-Newton/ESA; and Hubble/STScI

‘Iridescence’ traces a narrative of brooding lyricism to turbulent heights. Inspired by the mystery and radiance of stellar formations—found in the Space Telescope Science Institute/NASA’s visual libraries of Messier, New General Catalog (NGC) objects, and others—this work hints at a trajectory of darkness to light, opaque to translucent. Composed for the Bergamot Quartet, ‘Iridescence’ was produced in collaboration with STScI and the Consonance Collective. Composed by Zach Gulaboff Davis: www.zgulaboffdavis.com Performed by the Bergamot Quartet (Ledah Finck and Sarah Jane Thomas, violins; Amy Tan, viola; Irene Han, cello): www.bergamotquartet.com Directed by Caroline Xia with videography by Rafhael Dungca Audio Engineering by Andrew Bohman Video/Image Credits: ╴ ‘NGC 6302' – X-ray: NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/STScI ╴ 'Caldwell 6: Cat's Eye Nebula' – NASA, ESA, HEIC, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) ╴ ‘NGC 7293: Helix Nebula' – NASA, NOAO, ESA, the Hubble Helix Nebula Team, M. Meixner (STScI), and T.A. Rector (NRAO) ╴ ‘UGC 2885' – NASA, ESA, and B. Holwerda (University of Louisville) ╴ 'Animation of the Cosmic Reef' – NASA, ESA, G. Bacon, J. DePasquale, L. Hustak, J. Olmstead, A. Pagan, D. Player, and F. Summers ╴ 'Panning Across NGC 2174' – NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) ╴ 'Pan Across the Cosmic Reef' – NASA, ESA, and STScI ╴ 'Pan Across N103B' – ESA/Hubble ╴ 'Pan of NGC 6302' – NASA, ESA, and J. Kastner (Rochester Institute of Technology) ╴ 'Pan Across the Bubble Nebula' – ESA/Hubble ╴ 'Swimming Across the Lagoon Nebula' – ESA/Hubble, NASA ╴ 'Andromeda Galaxy' – NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) ╴ 'Zooming out from the Antennae Galaxies' – NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI) ╴ 'The Cat's Eye Nebula Redux' – NASA/CXC/SAO; Optical: NASA/STScI ╴ 'NGC 7293: Helix Nebula' – NASA/JPL-Caltech ╴ 'Pan Across the Cosmic Reef' – NASA, ESA, and STScI ╴ '3D Animation of a Galaxy' – ESA/Hubble (M. Kornmesser & L. L. Christensen) ╴ 'Animation of UGC 2885' – NASA, ESA, and B. Holwerda (University of Louisville) ╴ 'Animation of a Starburst Galaxy' – ESA, NASA & L. Calçada ╴ 'Zoom into Pillars of Creation' – NASA, ESA/Hubble and the Hubble Heritage Team ╴ 'Zoom into Trumpler 14' – ESO, DSS, ESA/Hubble, Risinger ╴ 'Flight to Star Cluster in Westerlund 2' – NASA, ESA, G. Bacon, L. Frattare, Z. Levay, and F. Summers (Viz3D Team, STScI), and J. Anderson (STScI) ╴ 'Panning Across the Veil Nebula' – NASA, ESA, Hubble Heritage Team ╴ 'Ordinary and Dark Matter in MACS J0025.4-1222' – ESA/Hubble (M. Kornmesser & L. L. Christensen) ╴ 'Pan Across LHA 120-N11' – NASA, ESA. Acknowledgement: Josh Lake

‘Beyond the Horizon’ takes an imaginary trip into the black hole, and portrays the protagonist’s experience traveling through various stages, from the ergosphere to the event horizon. Gu Wei was inspired by various depictions of journeys into black holes in films and literature, and they often meander through the ideas of mystery, inevitability, and power: Is entering a black hole a one-way ride to certain doom? What lies beyond the event horizon? Here Gu Wei takes a musical interpretation of his imagination of the unknown beyond the event horizon, which could lead to a point of singularity where everything ceases to exist, or to another universe, in which case the black hole is in fact a wormhole. While most would imagine the former outcome, this piece seems to suggest otherwise, as it rises to a triumphant climax towards the end of the piece. Composed by Gu Wei: www.guweimusic.com Performed by the Bergamot Quartet (Ledah Finck and Sarah Jane Thomas, violins; Amy Tan, viola; Irene Han, cello): www.bergamotquartet.com Directed by Caroline Xia with videography by Rafhael Dungca Audio Engineering by Andrew Bohman Video/Image Credits: - “A Flight Through the CANDELS Ultra Deep Survey Field'' – NASA, ESA, F. Summers, J. DePasquale, G. Bacon, and Z. Levay (STScI) - “Panning across the galaxy ESO 495-21” – ESA/Hubble, NASA - “Zoom into NGC 3314” – NASA, ESA, Digitized Sky Survey 2, N. Risinger - “A rare and exotic intermediate-mass black hole (artist’s impression)” – NASA, ESA, and M. Kornmesser - “360-degree Simulated View of the Sky Between Two Supermassive Black Holes” – NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center; background, ESA/Gaia/DPAC - “Simulation of a Supermassive Black Hole” – Jordy Davelaar et al./Radboud University/BlackHoleCam - “Matter accreting around a supermassive black hole (artist's impression)” – ESA/Hubble (M. Kornmesser) - “Massive Black Hole Shreds Passing Star” – NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/CI Lab - “Artist’s impression of distant quasar” – ESA/Hubble, NASA, M. Kornmesser - “Matter accreting around a supermassive black hole (artist's impression)” – ESA/Hubble (M. Kornmesser) - “Artist’s impression of the quasar 3C 279” – ESO/M. Kornmesser - “Top-Down View of Artist’s Impression of NGC3147 black hole disc” – ESA/Hubble, M. Kornmesser - “A 3D animation of the most distant quasar” – ESO/M. Kornmesser - “Artist’s impression of the Black Hole at the heart of M87” – ESO/M. Kornmesser - “Astronomers Capture First Image of a Black Hole” – Event Horizon Telescope collaboration - “Journey into and through a Reissner-Nordström black hole” – Andrew J. S. Hamilton - “The core of NGC 1275 concealing a black hole” – ESA/Hubble (M. Kornmesser & L. L. Christensen) - “Flyby of the Whirlpool Galaxy” – F. Summers, J. DePasquale, and D. Player (STScI) - “NASA'S Great Observatories Examine the Galactic Center Region” – NASA, ESA, SSC, CXC, and STScI - “The Eagle Nebula” – Theofanis N. Matsopoulos/ESA - “3D animation of the Orion nebula” – ESO/M. Kornmesser - “Panning across Messier 77” – NASA, ESA, Digitized Sky Survey 2, A. van der Hoeven - “Mystic Mountain” – Theofanis N. Matsopoulos/ESA - “Flight through the Tarantula Nebula” – Theofanis N. Matsopoulos/ESA

‘Dark Mysteries’ explores the subject of dark matter, one of the Hubble Space Telescope’s most fascinating discoveries. In 1998, when Hubble observed supernovae found at the edge of the universe, its observations showed that contrary to commonly held theories at the time, the expansion of the universe is not slowing down, but is actually accelerating at a rapid rate. The existence of dark matter and dark energy is one possible theory that was created to explain the acceleration of the universe. Dark matter is theorized to be a sort of energy-fluid that, along with dark energy, comprises more than 95% of the entire universe. In addition, because of how dark matter has been observed indirectly through the formation of galaxy clusters, we know that dark matter dictates the structure of the formation of the universe itself. The concept of an invisible force that completely surrounds us and is responsible for everything we know is an incredibly profound idea to Daniel Despins, and he hopes this piece conveys the tremendous awe and wonder he feels while contemplating the existence of dark matter. Composed by Daniel Despins: www.danieldespins.com Performed by the Bergamot Quartet (Ledah Finck and Sarah Jane Thomas, violins; Amy Tan, viola; Irene Han, cello): www.bergamotquartet.com Directed by Caroline Xia with videography by Rafhael Dungca Audio Engineering by Andrew Bohman Video/Image Credits: - “Simulation of the merging events in Abell 2744” - ESO/L. Calçada and J. Merten (Heidelberg/Bologna) - “Zoom into the Abell 2744” - NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI) - “Time evolution of a 10Mpc (comoving) region within Illustris from the start of the simulation to z=0” - Illustris Collaboration - “The motion of cosmic gas in a small region of TNG50” - TNG Collaboration - “The formation of a single large galaxy “g1” through time, from redshift until the present day” - TNG Collaboration - “Animated projection of the dark matter density distribution across the full Illustris-1 box at redshift zero” - Illustris Collaboration - “Box 64 - 10909 dark matter simulation” C. Henze, N. McCurdy, J. Primack and the CLUES Team - “A 3D visualization of the Millennium Simulation” - Springel et al. (2005) - “Evolution of the dark matter distribution of Andromeda, Milky Way, and M33” - K. Riebe and the CLUES Team