From Antarctica to the Amazon

A part of the MIT Artfinity Arts Festival and the inaugural season of events in the Edward and Joyce Linde Music Building at MIT.

Composer Patrick Harlin and Lee and Geraldine Martin Professor of Environmental Studies and Chemistry Susan Solomon will share the stage at MIT’s new Tull Concert Hall for a fireside chat that bridges music and science. Harlin’s work, deeply informed by soundscape ecology, translates environmental patterns into innovative musical expressions. Solomon, whose research on atmospheric chemistry has redefined our understanding of climate systems, brings a scientific perspective grounded in decades of pioneering work. Through conversation, Harlin and Solomon will discuss how exploration—whether charting new musical territories or investigating the Earth’s atmosphere—inspires innovation and sparks new ways of thinking.

The discussion will center on building connections between disciplines, highlighting how insights from music, science, and other fields can converge to tackle complex questions and spark collective creativity.

About the Speakers

Patrick Harlin’s “aesthetics capture a sense of tradition and innovation…” (The New York Times). His music is permeated by classical, jazz, and electronic music traditions, all underpinned with a love and respect for the great outdoors. His works have been performed by the St. Louis Symphony, the Kansas City Symphony, the Kinetic Ensemble, the Rochester and Calgary Philharmonic Orchestras, Collegium Cincinnati, and Calidore String Quartet, among others. Harlin is the inaugural composer in residence with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra (2019–2023). His interdisciplinary research in soundscape ecology—a field that aims to better understand ecosystems through sound—has taken him to imperiled regions around the world, including the Amazon rainforest and the Book Cliffs of Utah. His baseline recordings for ecological impact studies are also the fodder for artistic inspiration. This work has been supported by a Graham Sustainability Institute Doctoral Fellowship, a Theodore Presser Award, and private support, among others. These pieces draw parallels between the sounds of the natural world and those of the concert hall, seeking to bring awareness to the importance of sound in our environment. Harlin grew up in Seattle, holds a doctorate in music composition from the University of Michigan, and currently resides in Ann Arbor.Full Bio: patrickharlin.com

Susan Solomon is the Lee and Geraldine Martin Professor of Environmental Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Prior to coming to MIT in 2012, she was a scientist at NOAA in Boulder, Colorado and an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado from 1982-2011. Solomon is widely recognized as one of the leaders in the field of atmospheric science. Her scientific papers have provided not only key measurements but also theoretical understanding regarding ozone destruction, especially the role of surface chemistry. In l986 and l987, she served as the Head Project Scientist of the National Ozone Expedition at McMurdo Station, Antarctica and made some of the first measurements there that pointed towards chlorofluorocarbons as the cause of the ozone hole. In l994, an Antarctic glacier was named in her honor in recognition of that work. In March of 2000, she received the National Medal of Science, the United States' highest scientific honor, for "key insights in explaining the cause of the Antarctic ozone hole."Full Bio: ssolomongroup.mit.edu/susansolomon

This event is part of Kinetic Ensemble's CAST Visiting Artists Residency, Artfinity, and the new MTA music building’s opening celebrations.

Host or Publisher MIT Music and Theater Arts