The Exoplanets

Inspired by real scientific data translating planetary research into music, seven composers transform information of a new planet into cosmic sound, texture and form.

The Exoplanets is a bold orchestral suite from City of London Sinfonia, comprising seven movements commissioned from seven globally diverse composers. Each movement imagines the sound world of a newly discovered planet beyond our solar system, created through close collaboration between composers and astrophysicists.

The performance is hosted by comedian, writer and broadcaster Robin Ince, who will be joined by guest astrophysicist Dr Jen Gupta. Together, they guide audiences through each orchestral movement, introducing the scientific ideas, data and discoveries that inspired the music, and creating a lively dialogue between sound and science.

Inspired by real scientific data, the suite translates planetary research into music — transforming information about atmosphere, density, temperature and orbit into sound, texture and form. Each composer brings a distinct musical voice and perspective, resulting in seven contrasting worlds shaped by both science and imagination. Visual elements support the journey, helping to frame both the music and the scientific concepts behind it. Audiences are invited into the creative process, hearing how observation becomes interpretation, and how scientific knowledge becomes music. In imagining worlds beyond our own, The Exoplanets invites us to listen with curiosity and wonder — using music to explore the unknown, and to glimpse new ways of understanding the universe, and our place on planet Earth within it.

Presented by City of London Sinfonia in association with Hackney Empire.

The Exoplanets is supported by the Vaughan Williams Foundation, Garfield Weston, The Cockayne Foundation and the Leche Trust.