Volume 16

Astronomical Organ Music

Matthew Whitehouse

Abstract.
Music inspired by astronomical phenomena is familiar to INSAP participants. In this presentation, I will present two pieces of astronomy-inspired music composed specifically for the organ: Nebulae and Nova. The music will be accompanied by a slide show of astronomical images. Nebulae is my original work and is a musical narrative on the process of star formation. It has been performed throughout the United States, including at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris in October 2010. Nova is by the American composer Myron Roberts, and is a depiction of a supernova explosion.