Arts and Music (Video)

Our movie Dona Nobis Pacem (Grant Us Peace) tells a special story. In 2022, COVID prevented a live performance of Dona Nobis Pacem at the annual BachFest in Leipzig, Germany. So, with creativity and passion, they converted this into a global performance, using this music to link people all over the world. On this night flight over Earth from the International Space Station, bright lines show how we all interconnect as we hear the moving performance of Bach's Dona Nobis Pacem, from B minor Mass. Series: "Arts Channel " [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 40138]

Astronauts on the International Space Station see 16 sunsets (and sunrises) every day. This movie captures the intense colors of a space sunset, taken with a telephoto lens, harmonized with floating, ethereal space music. This is an original composition by Steve Thomas, who plays the electric guitar and works extra magic with digital creativity.

Series: "Arts Channel " [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 40096]

Born in the rhythms of Burkina Faso and cradled by the tradition of the griots, Adama Bilorou knows how to transform his heritage into a melody of multiple nuances—a musical journey that crosses continents and cultures. Drawing inspiration from the sights and sounds of his childhood in the Ivory Coast and his later journeys to Italy, France, the United States and Burkina Faso—Adama Bilorou has creatively composed his uniquely beautiful score. Series: "Arts Channel " [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 40092]

CONTRA-TIEMPO Activist Dance Theater’s ¡azúcar! is a courageous naming of, confrontation with, and intentional obliteration of the often unspoken undercurrent of anti-Blackness in latinidad. Questions are continuing to drive the process as we begin to understand the complicated history of sugar and the messages from our ancestors. What does it feel like to individually and collectively heal, what does it move like? Twenty brilliant artists and collaborators take audiences through a journey of Celia Cruz’s vibrations, unearthing history embedded in our bodies. Through ¡azúcar!, CONTRA-TIEMPO explores ancestral wisdoms about a plant that once aided in our healing, used as a way to sweeten medicinal concoctions, now extracted, refined, and used as weaponized poison. This courageous work is rooted in and inspired by the sacred feminine, personal narratives of food, labor, community, sabor, and explorations of “familying” and healing as practices. Series: "Arts Channel " [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 39926]

Joy of Flight captures the night view of the Gulf of Mexico from the International Space Station set to Bach’s Trio Sonata #5 and performed by organist Emily Amos. The organ is a majestic instrument, and a real challenge for musicians, with active hands and feet on multiple keyboards. Yet when it comes together it is beautiful. In 2023, Amos headed the Youth Council of the American Guild of Organists, and played this lovely floating music. The night view from Gulf of Mexico is equally majestic, sparkling below. Series: "Arts Channel " [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 40097]

On this Earth path from the International Space Station, we selected a flight starting with the Atlantic coast, passing over the Sahara, the Mediterranean Sea, Italy and on to Ukraine. Music is performed by Qingzhu Weng who won the International BachFest 2022 competition with this stunning performance of the Violin Partita #2 in D minor: Chaconne movement, by Johann Sebastian Bach. Considered one of the most challenging works for violin, the performance is superb.

Series: "Arts Channel " [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 40099]

Born in the rhythms of Burkina Faso and cradled by the tradition of the griots, Adama Bilorou knows how to transform his heritage into a melody of multiple nuances—a musical journey that crosses continents and cultures. Drawing inspiration from the sights and sounds of his childhood in the Ivory Coast and his later journeys to Italy, France, the United States and Burkina Faso—Adama Bilorou has creatively composed his uniquely beautiful score. Series: "Arts Channel " [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 40090]

Take an exquisite ride in space from the International Space Station. Steve Thomas composed these ethereal guitarscapes as a commission for use on the ISS during Richard Garriott’s pioneering flight as a private astronaut. Garriott's photos comprise a collection of 20 flight paths around Earth. The timeless music is emotionally aligned with views of Earth, from the Sahara and Himalayas to the moody aurora borealis. The Earth Serenade series is from the Association of Space Explorers, the professional association of flown astronauts. Series: "Arts Channel " [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 39839]

Yale Strom’s Hot Pstromi is a U.S.-based klezmer ensemble. Much of the repertoire comes from Strom's many years of ethnographic research he has conducted in Eastern Europe. Many of the melodies and Yiddish songs come from Jews and Roma who played before and after the Holocaust and that Strom interviewed and with whom he performed. The band’s New York-based lineup includes: Peter Stan, Norbert Stachel, Elizabeth Schwartz, Sprocket and Klezmatics co-founder David Licht. Series: "Arts Channel " [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 40028]

A look at the iconic Geisel Library at UC San Diego. [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 40069]