Free First Fridays: Theremin Concerts Under the Dome

Experience two live theremin performances in the Planetarium, accompanied by immersive visuals under the dome. At 5:30pm, HRM Artist-in-Residence Rachael Guma joins synthesist Gabriel Guma for a performance of theremin and modular synthesis. At 6:30pm, world-renowned composer and thereminist Dorit Chrysler presents Sounds of the Kosmos: Theremin Meets Buchla.

Invented in 1920 by Leon Theremin, this touchless electronic instrument became famous in science fiction and thriller soundtracks, from The Day the Earth Stood Still to Spellbound and, more recently, Loki. Inspired by Earth Day, both concerts celebrate our planet and the importance of conservation.

The Planetarium will be open 5–8pm with recorded tracks from the album Theremin 100, before and after the live performances, followed by a demonstration and Q&A.

In addition, get creative in a special bilingual sketching workshop celebrating Earth Day with Carolina Amarillo, PLUS a special project facilitated by HRM Junior Docents, and enjoy our current exhibitions. Cash bar available.

#HRMEarthDay

Dorit Chrysler is an Austrian-born thereminist, composer, and sound artist based in Berlin and New York, and co-founder of the New York Theremin Society. A leading authority on the instrument, she has expanded the theremin’s expressive and technological possibilities across music, performance, and visual art. Her work has been commissioned by institutions including MoMA, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the Siemens Foundation, and she has performed internationally with the San Francisco Symphony and at Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Coachella. Chrysler composes for film and theater, with award-winning scores recognized by the Diagonale Festival and the Nestroy Prize. She is also founder of Dame Electric, a festival dedicated to female pioneers of electronic music.

Gestalt Tone Color (Gabriel Guma) is an electronic musician and sound artist working across experimental film, expanded cinema, and live performance. He has performed at venues including Anthology Film Archives, Fridman Gallery, Mana Contemporary, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Guma co-wrote the score for E-Ticket, a short film by Simon Liu that screened at the Sundance Film Festival and the International Film Festival Rotterdam. He frequently collaborates with filmmaker and sound artist Rachael Guma.

Rachael Guma is a light and sound artist working with liquid light projection, Super 8 film, theremin, turntable manipulation, live Foley, collage, and stop-motion animation. She performs internationally as part of the duo Invisible Scissors and has appeared at institutions including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of the Moving Image, The Kitchen, and the Museum of Art and Design. Guma is the Hudson River Museum’s 2025–2026 Teaching Artist-in-Residence.

Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.