FivebyFive has recently announced their Wonders of Water Concert scheduled for March 5 and 6, 2026. The event, located in Rochester, is a multimedia experience under the dome of the Strasenburgh Planetarium. Performed by Rochester’s chamber ensemble, FivebyFive, and paired with video visuals, the concert will investigate water’s superpowers and wonders in the age of our environmental crisis.
The program will feature work by Sherri Chung, an Emmy-nominated composer, who also composed the score for the HBO Max/Amblin animated series, Gremlins: The Wild Batch. In addition, her piece “The Force Within” was written about the California wildfires and the devastating destruction many of her friends and colleagues experienced. Gleen McClure, an eco-musician, also wrote a commissioned work, “Anatomy of a Wave,” where he spotlights the pipa (a traditional Chinese lute), which Leah Ou will perform.
FivebyFive additionally commissioned Meilina Tsui, a Hong Kong-American composer, for a new piece titled “Glaciers.” These pieces will be paired with an animated video by Marc Webster featuring live ballet dancers from the Rochester City Ballet. This creates a wondrous multisensory experience that allows for true appreciation of the experience and of water.
The chamber ensemble musicians include Eric Polenik (bass and acting Artistic Director), Marcy Bacon (clarinet), Ken Luk (electric guitar), Haeyeun Jeun (piano), and Lana Stafford (flute). The videos have been created by Marc Webster (the audio and visual artist).
Eric Polenik, the artistic director, highlighted, “This program is literally flowing with energy and magnetism. To have musicians playing their instruments live in such an awe-inspiring setting and the audience soaking in what they hear and see–it’s going to be an amazing whirlpool of emotions.”
The event will also feature music from Fivebyfive’s repertoire such as their eclipse-themed compositions by Marc Mellits and Jessica Meyer.
The concerts on at Strasenburgh Planetarium Thursday, March 5, 2026, and Friday, March 6, 2026, are part of FivebyFive’s 10th-anniversary season, “Of This Worlds.” Tickets for this unique event and multi-media experience are available at fivebyfivemusic.com or rmsc.org.
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