International Space Orchestra

Ground Control: An Opera in Space was composed by a team including Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz, Bobby Womack, Richard Russell, Mike Smith (Music Director of Gorillaz), Arthur Jeffes of Penguin Café, Maywa Denki (inventor of Otamatone), and Evan Price, with a libretto by science-fiction author Bruce Sterling and Jasmina Tesanovic.

[8] ISO's first performance took place in front of the 80 by 120 foot wind tunnel (world's largest) located at NASA Ames Research Center and its second in San Jose, California during the ZERO1 Biennial (North America's most significant showcase of work at the nexus of art and technology).

In addition, public talks by leading NASA and SETI Institute (Search for Extraterrestrial Life) scientists were curated by Nelly Ben Hayoun, giving insights into missions that inspired the musical composition.

These included presentations by SETI Institute (Search for Extraterrestrial Life) Director of Research Gerry Harp, NASA Ames Research Center Chief Scientist Jacob Cohen, Kepler Mission Manager Roger Hunter and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite/ LADEE NASA Flight Director Rusty Hunt.

On April 19, 2016, the International Space Orchestra performed at the historic Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco with the all-female British rock group the Savages.