David von Behren is the Assistant University Organist and Choirmaster of the Memorial Church at Harvard University. he received his Master of Music degree and Church Music Studies certificate at Yale University (School of Music/Institute of sacred Music). He is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music in Cleveland, Ohio, holding his Bachelor of Music degree in organ performance and music theory (double degree). David concertizes extensively throughout the United States and Europe.

David about Bach in Space:

“The concept of existing as a small speck on a planet in infinitely expanding universes fascinates me. Watching video footage of our Earth from space (so brilliantly captured by the astronauts) reveals the complexities of a planet we know so little about. I can sit for hours on end looking at these photos taken from the International Space Station (ISS).

As a musician, my work is to explore contrapuntally-rich and harmonically-dense works of Bach in an effort to create a tangible experience for the listener. Bach in Space is such a fulfilling and illuminating project to me because I can aid in creating a sonic experience to accompany this astounding footage - so that the intangibles may become tangible.”

Learn more:  davidvonbehren.com

Sam Nelson, a native of Lynn, Massachusetts, held his first organist position at the age of 12. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Organ Performance from Gordon College in 2011, under the tutelage of Dr. Roy Brunner and Douglas Marshall, and a Master of Music at Boston University, studying with Peter Sykes. Sam was the organist at Washington Street Baptist Church in Lynn, from 2002 to 2013; Music Director at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Lynnfield, MA, from 2013 to 2019; and was named Assistant Organist/Choirmaster at Redeemer in 2019. He served as Tour Manager and Organ Technician for Cameron Carpenter and The International Touring Organ during the 2015 and 2016 US Winter Tours, as well as during the 2016 premiere of Carpenter’s arrangement of Variations on a Theme of Paganini by Rachmaninoff, with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra in China.

Learn more: samnelsonmusic.com

That means concerts combining live music with images from space and Earth. You ́ll find them in planetariums and at exceptional places. There they invite you to look up to the stars and down to Earth and dream. With more than 100 concerts through Germany, Europe and Egypt, they are passionate celebrating Earth. They are 3 musicians : Roswitha Meyer - flutes, Tilmann Albrecht, harpsichord - Hauke Renken, vibraphone and the ESA-Astronaut Dr Gerhard Thiele. They are proud to be a Member of IPS International Planetarium Society Inc. For more information: www.stardust-sinfonie.de

Roswitha Meyer - flutist with experience of more than 2500 concerts and founder and creative mind behind STARDUST SINFONIE and other artistic projects for peace and climate, including Project Orpheus Musiktheater and Project Blue Marble Festival. More information here.

Tilmann Albrecht - harpsichord player of STARDUST SINFONIE, early music specialist, conductor and arranger. Co-founder of I Zefirelli.

Hauke Renken - Vibraphone player of STARDUST SINFONIE , jazz specialist and arranger, composer and founder of vibraphone festival. Co-Founder of Chat Noir Berlin.

Astronaut Gerhard Thiele - Earth and space advisor to Stardust Sinfonie. A German physicist and ESA astronaut, he flew on the US Space Shuttle, STS-99 in 2000. (Not shown in photo).

Instruments:

Flute

Harpsichord

Vibraphone

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STARDUST SINFONIE

Brian Hoffman is an active church organist and director, concert organist, recording artist and composer. Mr. Hoffman is currently Director of Music at St. Pius X Church in Albany, NY, a large upstate parish. His piano and organ studies began at age 5 with Raymond Paradis and he began his professional career as a church organist at the age of 11.

As a concert organist, Mr. Hoffman has performed hundreds of concerts in the United States, including solo performances at such notable venues as St. Patrick's Cathedral NYC and on “the world’s largest organ in a sacred space” the 380 rank organ at West Point Cadet Chapel. As a composer, he has written numerous works for choir, organ, and various ensembles. As a recording artist, he has recorded his original compositions, as well as organ works of J.S. Bach and Cesar Franck.

His most recent project, begun during the pandemic of 2020, is the recordings of the complete organ works of J.S. Bach on organs from around the world via the Hauptwerk program. 6 CDs have been completed to date. These recordings can be found on iTunes, Amazon and all of the major music streaming services.

Instrument:

Hauptwerk virtual pipe organ