This winter, UMS is presenting a 10-week, 10-event ‘renegade’ series focusing on thought-leaders and game-changers in the performing arts. Hamburg Symphony Orchestra on January 29 is the next performance in the series.

Olivier Messiaen’s Des canyons aux étoiles (From the Canyons to the Stars), commissioned to commemorate America’s bicentennial, was inspired the by the American West. Conductor Jeffrey Tate and the Hamburg Symphony, in collaboration with Israeli filmmaker Daniel Landau, bring the piece alive in a new cinematic installation, where images of man’s impact on the environment create a counterpoint to sounds of untouched nature.

UMS video producer and filmmaker Sophia Kruz interviewed Daniel Landau over Skype.

UMS recommends watching these videos Full Screen at 1080p.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Explore more examples of Daniel Landau’s recent experimental theater and film work.

On January 29, UMS will present the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, who will perform French composer Olivier Messiaen’s Des canyons aux étoiles (From the Canyons to the Stars). Messiaen was commissioned by Alice Tully, the New York philanthropist most widely known for her contribution to Lincoln Center, to write a piece commemorating America’s bicentennial. From the Canyons to the Stars was inspired by the natural wonder Messiaen found in the landscapes of the American West.

We put together a playlist of other music we love which was inspired by nature. Take a listen.

What’s some of your favorite music inspired by nature?