Harmonices Solaris
Algorithmic Composition and Spatial Sonification of the Solar System
Collaborative work with Peter Traver, PhD Candidate, NYU
Overview
Harmonices Solaris is a spatial audio installation that reimagines the solar system as an interactive sound environment. Drawing from NASA planetary data and inspired by Kepler’s “Harmonices Mundi,” the work transforms astronomical metrics into generative musical structures, each mapped to a unique orbiting sound object in space.
Originally presented at the 2023 International Conference on Auditory Display (ICAD) in Norrköping, Sweden, the piece blends algorithmic composition, data sonification, and immersive spatial audio to ask a simple but timeless question:
What would the planets sound like if we could hear them?
Concept & Collaboration
Each planet is rendered as a sonic object, with pitch, harmony, rhythm, and motion derived directly from real-world data. A Markov-based algorithm in Python generates pitch sets using planetary mass, diameter, density, and atmospheric composition. These sets are then transformed into evolving musical phrases, each with its own sonic fingerprint.
- Frequencies follow mass
- Harmonic range is defined by planetary diameter
- Chord density by physical density
- Rhythm by atmospheric chemistry
- Duration and tempo by orbital mechanics
The result is an auditory map of our solar system. Abstract yet grounded, computational yet expressive.
Spatial Experience
Using XP4Live (built on IRCAM’s SPAT), planetary sound objects orbit the listener within a multi-speaker array. The spatial layout simulates planetary motion, not to scale but perceptually coherent, with inner rocky planets circling close and outer gas giants moving in vast, reverberant arcs.
A MIDI controller allows audience members to isolate or blend planetary sounds in real time, effectively “mixing” the solar system. A virtual version was also rendered in Dolby Atmos, with a binaural web-based experience planned for public release.
Presentation
🪐 Premiered at the 28th International Conference on Auditory Display
🎧 Featured at NYU 3D Audio Lab and Music Tech Open House
🎼 Used as a generative framework for long-form composition and improvisation
Impact
Harmonices Solaris exists at the intersection of science, sound, and spatial perception. It functions as both interactive installation and compositional instrument, inviting audiences not only to hear the cosmos, but to navigate it.
Future iterations are planned in VR and AR formats, with an emphasis on accessibility, scale, and deeper planetary interaction.
