Project In Brief

  • This annual series brings new music to world-class institutions, open streets, and public parks across New York City.

  • Metropolis partners with organizations including Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Make Music New York, and NYC Department of Transportation.

  • Each project employs dozens of independent artists and expands community access to the arts through free, public, immersive experiences.

 
Impact by the Numbers

28,000+

audience participants since 2021

530

musicians and composers employed

40

new original works commissioned

120

event locations across New York City

7

festivals and pop-up series to date
 
Project Partners
 
 

Commissioning Project

Ongoing Since 2021
  • In response to the pandemic, Metropolis commissioned flexible musical works for any combination of instruments at a variety of scales. 
  • Composer cohorts have prepared 40 new works to date, inspired by topics such as NYC's diverse neighborhoods and nature’s first musicians — birds.
Explore the Works
 
 

Biophony Pop-Up NYC

Summer 2021, Spring 2022, and Summer 2023
  • Diverse independent artists in the Metropolis community collaborate to create a pop-up concert using a self-organizing digital platform.
  • These accessible and “pandemic proof” experiences draw thousands of participants to unexpected areas in the city that are rarely offered new music.
Explore the Series
 
 

Biophony Festivals

September 2021 and May 2022
  • Metropolis and Brooklyn Botanic Garden partnered over multiple years to create outdoor musical adventures with pods of musicians across the 52-acre gardens. 
  • Each listening experience was unique, determined by the wide range of instrumentation, ranging from a choir of singing dancers, saxophone trio, and instruments from ancient to modern.
Explore the Festivals
 
 

Biophony SoundGarden

February 2023
  • Metropolis and Brooklyn Botanic Garden co-commissioned an immersive soundbath experience by composer Ricardo Romaneiro and 20 Metropolis musicians, in collaboration with BBG’s curators, gardeners, and horticulturists.
  • The 40-minute synchronous work was presented hourly in Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s conservatories.
  • Hundreds of visitors of all ages used hands-on interactive plants as live musical instruments to create their own “living” composition.
Explore the Project
 
 
 

More Projects

Take an in-depth look at Metropolis Ensemble projects over the years.

Explore the Archives