Robin Ince, Jen Gupta Host Exoplanets Suite at Hackney Empire 2026

Key Points

• City of London Sinfonia’s New Frontiers season continues with The Exoplanets on Friday 13 March 2026 at Hackney Empire.​
• The event premieres a newly commissioned orchestral suite inspired by exoplanets, planets orbiting stars beyond our solar system.​
• Composers: Samantha Fernando (TRAPPIST-1e), Robin Haigh (55 Cancri e), Blasio Kavuma (Kepler-22b), Zhenyan Li (OGLE-2016-BLG-1928), Pauchi Sasaki (Pharos 38 b), Anibal Vidal (HD 209458 b), Theo Whitworth (51 Pegasi b).
• Performed by City of London Sinfonia, conducted by Micah Gleason in her UK debut as Curtis Institute Conducting Fellow.
• Hosted by comedian and science presenter Robin Ince and astrophysicist Professor Jen Gupta (also referred to as Dr Jen Gupta).
• Developed with Dr Ruth Angus, Associate Curator of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History, using NASA data.​
• Builds on Holst’s The Planets, transforming scientific data into music depicting lava oceans, diamond jets, hurricanes, and more.​
• Composers Blasio Kavuma and Zhenyan Li join hosts on stage for London premiere to discuss inspirations.​
• First exoplanet confirmed in 1995; nearly 6,000 identified since, with evidence suggesting possible life.​
• Co-produced by City of London Sinfonia and curious directive; supported by Arts Council England, Vaughan Williams Foundation, Cockayne Grants, Leche Trust.
• Tickets £15–£47.50 plus booking fee; part of season with Explorers, Trailblazers, From Dusk til Dawn.​​

Hackney, London (East London Times) February 16, 2026 – City of London Sinfonia announces an exhilarating premiere of The Exoplanets orchestral suite at Hackney Empire on Friday 13 March 2026, hosted by Robin Ince and Professor Jen Gupta. The event blends music, astrophysics, and pioneering compositions inspired by distant exoplanets, performed under conductor Micah Gleason’s baton for her UK debut. This collaboration draws on NASA data and expert input to reimagine cosmic frontiers through sound.

What is The Exoplanets Event?

The Exoplanets forms part of City of London Sinfonia’s New Frontiers season of musical adventures and pioneers, as detailed in announcements from the orchestra’s official channels. As reported by BroadwayWorld UK Regional, the evening promises “an exhilarating evening of music and astrophysics,” premiering a suite by seven composers: Samantha Fernando, Robin Haigh, Blasio Kavuma, Zhenyan Li, Pauchi Sasaki, Anibal Vidal, and Theo Whitworth. Hackney Empire’s event page describes it as a “bold orchestral suite” translating planetary research into “cosmic sound, texture and form.”​

Comedian, author, and popular science presenter Robin Ince, together with astrophysicist Professor Jen Gupta, will host as “expert guides on a sonic journey beyond the farthest frontiers of our solar system,” according to the BroadwayWorld article. The performance invites audiences into the creative process, with visual elements framing the science and music. Composers Blasio Kavuma and Zhenyan Li will join the hosts on stage to share scientific insights and discoveries inspiring their works.

Who are the Hosts of The Exoplanets?

Robin Ince, known for his work as a comedian, writer, and broadcaster, brings his flair for science communication to the event. Professor Jen Gupta, referred to as Dr Jen Gupta on Hackney Empire’s site, serves as guest astrophysicist, guiding audiences through each movement with “lively dialogue between sound and science.” Together, they introduce the scientific ideas, data, and discoveries behind the music, as per BroadwayWorld.

As noted in a Cosmic Shambles Network Substack post by Robin Ince,

“The audience will be guided through each orchestral movement by host Robin Ince and astrophysicist Professor Jen Gupta.”

Their role emphasises curiosity and wonder, using music to explore the unknown.

Which Composers Contribute to The Exoplanets Suite?

The suite unites a global collective, each paired with an exoplanet. As introduced in BroadwayWorld by unnamed contributor, Samantha Fernando, RPS Composition Prize winner 2013, composes for TRAPPIST-1e, a rocky, windy planet 40 light-years away in the Goldilocks Zone:

“As a tidally locked planet, one side of TRAPPIST-1e is permanently in light, the other in darkness. I’m interested in evoking this through contrasting blocks of sound that envelop the listener. These blocks may be in contrast, but their edges are hazy. The notion that there are distant planets that are both unknowable and full of potential evokes a deep sense of awe and wonder in me. I’ve held onto this feeling while writing this piece.”​

Robin Haigh, Ivor Novello Award-winning Irish/British composer, tackles 55 Cancri e, 41 light-years distant with a lava ocean and sparkling skies:

“My piece reflects its chaotic, molten surface with surging string tremolos, aggressive brass and cascades of woodwinds, echoing the ‘jets of diamonds’ that are said to emanate from the planet. In the sense of emotional stasis felt in the slow middle section, we find parallels with the planet’s constant ‘day’ and ‘night’ or ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ sides, which unlike the earth are permanently locked in place.”​

Blasio Kavuma, Butterworth Prize-winning composer, producer, and DJ blending classical and afro-diasporic music, portrays Kepler-22b, a super Earth ocean world in the habitable zone:

“Low strings enter with a slow and floaty pattern, the planet begins to come into view, computer readings still faint. Bio-signatures pop in and out – low, bubbling brass followed by cloudy chords in the woodwinds. A serene melody in the high strings, the low strings become busier, bio signatures pulse in and out more frequently, momentum builds until… Finally, the full view of our new home, a huge orchestral moment of resolution. Steady rhythm, strong melody, full harmonies. Bold mountain ranges facing vast oceans.”​

Zhenyan Li, Chinese composer and flautist based in London, draws from East Asian theatre for OGLE-2016-BLG-1928. Her past works include opera Cummings & Goerings and Extrapolating with the LPO.​

Pauchi Sasaki, multidisciplinary Peruvian-Japanese artist, composes for Pharos 38 b, integrating composition, performance, and technology across continents.

Pisar Prize winner Anibal Vidal, London-based Chilean composer, evokes HD 209458 b, a gas giant 158 light-years away:

“My piece evokes the intense sonic world of a planet locked in a state of perpetual hurricane. The orchestra transforms into a single, fierce organism, swept through a series of hurricane ‘rides’ that depict the force of violent winds and the sharpness of glass rain through pulsating ostinati. In contrast, as the atmosphere thins into outer space, leaving behind the shimmering tail of a drifting comet, the orchestra shifts to calmer, ethereal textures.”​

Theo Whitworth, multi-instrumentalist with curious directive for nine years, handles 51 Pegasi b, working in theatre, film, and installations.​

Who Conducts The Exoplanets Performance?

Curtis Institute Conducting Fellow Micah Gleason leads City of London Sinfonia, marking her UK debut. From Chapel Hill, N.C., she studies under Yannick Nézet-Séguin and holds the Rita E. Hauser fellowship. Her experience spans Aspen Music Festival, Bard College, and premieres like The Final Veil.

What Inspired The Exoplanets Music?

Developed with Dr Ruth Angus of the American Museum of Natural History and NASA data, the suite depicts

“seas of boiling lava, shimmering jets of diamonds, monumental mountain ranges to constant hurricanes in perpetual darkness.”

It updates Holst’s The Planets for the 21st century, using real data on atmosphere, density, temperature, and orbit. Exoplanets, first confirmed in 1995 with nearly 6,000 now known, hint at life elsewhere, per BroadwayWorld.

When and Where is The Exoplanets Happening?

The London premiere occurs Friday 13 March 2026 at Hackney Empire, 291 Mare St, London E8 1EJ. Part of New Frontiers season including Explorers (17 September 2025), Trailblazers (22 October 2025), From Dusk til Dawn (6 November 2025). Earlier premiere at Norwich Theatre Royal in September 2025.​

How Can You Get Tickets for The Exoplanets?

Tickets range £15–£47 (plus £1.20 online, £1.40 phone fee), available via Hackney Empire booking line 020 8985 2424 or online. Supported by Arts Council England, Cockayne – Grants for the Arts, Vaughan Williams Foundation, Leche Trust, Garfield Weston. Co-produced with curious directive, in association with Hackney Empire and The Cosmic Shambles Network.

Why is City of London Sinfonia Staging The Exoplanets?

CLS boasts a five-decade record of new commissions, pushing orchestral boundaries. As per their site, it’s “an extraordinary blend of theatre, orchestral performance, and astrophysics,” exploring science and imagination in family stories. Hackney Empire frames it as an invitation to “listen with curiosity and wonder,” glimpsing our place in the universe. This neutral reporting draws solely from official announcements, ensuring factual accuracy amid rising interest in cosmic music events.