In 1971, French composer Olivier Messiaen was commissioned by Alice Tully, the New York philanthropist most widely known for her contribution to Lincoln Center, to write a piece commemorating America’s bicentennial. Messiaen was inspired and fascinated by the natural wonder he found in the landscapes of the American West. Des canyons aux étoiles (From the Canyons to the Stars) represents his sonic impressions of America’s last untouched frontier. Conductor Jeffrey Tate and the Hamburg Symphony, in collaboration with Israeli filmmaker Daniel Landau, bring the piece alive in a new cinematic installation, where images of man’s impact on the environment create a counterpoint to sounds of untouched nature. Through film images projected on multiple screens, Hill Auditorium will be turned into a multi-sensory experience celebrating the beauty of the earth and our unaltered landscapes.