Recent Project — Biophony: Solstice
Thousands experienced the summer solstice in a kaleidoscope of sound and ecstatic music.
June 20, 2024 • 5:00am and 7:30pm • Brooklyn Botanic Garden
See photo highlights
A landmark experience.
Biophony: Solstice featured a World Premiere arrangement of Simeon ten Holt's minimalist landmark, Canto Ostinato, created by Metropolis Ensemble, Sandbox Percussion, and Erik Hall, with composers Benjamin Wallace, alongside Ledah Finck, and David Leon, at sunrise and sunset on the longest day of the year.
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An epic collaboration.
Biophony: Solstice is the culmination of a four-season collaboration between Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Metropolis Ensemble, performed by over 50 percussionists (from Sandbox Percussion and the Mannes School of Music at The New School), instrumentalists from Metropolis Ensemble, and pianist Erik Hall.
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Biophony is a series of citywide site-specific music experiences for everyone.
30,000+
audience participants since 2021
580
musicians and composers employed
43
new original works commissioned
122
event locations across New York City
Expanding community access to the arts
The annual Biophony festival and pop-up concert series brings new music to world-class institutions, open streets, and public parks across the city in multi-year partnerships with organizations including Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Make Music New York, and NYC Department of Transportation.
Recent and upcoming Biophony events
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Biophony Solstice 2024
June 20, 2024 | Music for sunrise and sunset at Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
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Biophony Pop-Up NYC 2023
June 10–24, 2023 | New music in new places that celebrate our city’s diverse neighborhoods.
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Face the Music 2023
May 6, 2023 | Choose your own sonic adventure with Metropolis and Kaufman Music Center’s teen new music program.
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Biophony SoundGarden 2023
February 11–12, 2023 | An immersive soundbath experience in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden conservatory ecosystems.
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Biophony Pop-Up NYC 2022
May 15–June 21, 2022 | Expanding community access to the performing arts across the city.
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Biophony Festival 2022
May 14, 2022 | An outdoor musical adventure at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, inspired by nature’s first musicians: birds.
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Biophony Festival 2021
September 18, 2021 | Our inaugural “pandemic proof” festival at Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
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Biophony Pop-Up NYC 2021
July 21–September 17, 2021 | Introducing a city-wide ritual bringing new music to new places.
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Biophony Pop-Up NYC 2024
August 31—September 29, 2024 | Discover an immersive soundtrack across New York City’s neighborhoods.
Supporting 500+ expert musicians since 2021
Our diverse independent artists in the Metropolis community collaborate to create each site-specific Biophony event using a self-organizing digital platform and present flexible musical works for any combination of instruments at a variety of scales.
Meet some of our Biophony artists
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Ricardo Romaneiro
Composer, Electronics
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Claire Dickson
Composer, Vocals
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Joel Ross
Composer, Percussion
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Eden Girma
Vocals
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Charlotte Greve
Composer, Saxophone
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Matthew Evan Taylor
Composer, Flute
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Ananya Ganesh
Piano
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Isabel Lepanto Gleicher
Flute
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Andres Abenante
Guitar
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Hannah Sumner
Composer, Vocals
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Immanuel Wilkins
Composer, saxophone
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Shara Lunon
Composer, Vocals
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Pablo O’Connell
Composer, oboe
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Tyrone Allen
Percussion
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Adam O'Farrill
Trumpet
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Erika Dohi
Composer, Synths
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Burt Mason
Composer, Trombone
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Yuma Uesaka
Composer, Clarinet
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Sara Serpa
Composer, Vocals
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Zekkereya El Magharbel
Composer, Trombone
Producing immersive musical adventures
Biophony events are free, accessible, and “pandemic proof” experiences that draw thousands of participants to unexpected areas in the city that are rarely offered new music, uniting neighbors and artists together in locally-relevant spaces.
Looking for the next Biophony event?
Be the first to hear new music from Metropolis.
Go behind the scenes at our concerts.
Looking for the next Biophony event? Be the first to hear new music from Metropolis. Go behind the scenes at our concerts.
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Creative Collaborators
Special thanks to the Metropolis Brain Trust: our thought-partners who helped make each Biophony project possible:
Jakub Ciupinski • Ryan Francis • Kate Gilmore • Paula Matthusen • Phong Tran • Amelia Brey • Jay Julio • Lesley Mok • Isabel Crespo Pardo • Ricardo Romaneiro
Support Biophony + Metropolis
100% of your donation can brings our Biophony projects to life, empowering and employing hundreds of artists. Together we can amplify impact and promote greater access to the arts.