BPO Shines at Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium

The Whitworth Ferguson Planetarium played host over the summer to four members of the world-class Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, who recorded several pieces for the BPO’s “Out of the Box” series. 

The BPO episode recorded at the planetarium featured musicians Janz Castelo on viola, Eva Herer on cello, and Andrea Cone and Amy Licata on violin. They performed Manuel Ponce’s “Estrellita,” Antonín Dvořák’s “Song to the Moon” from Rusalka, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s String Quartet No. 19 in C Major, K. 465 “Dissonance”: I. Adagio-Allegro.

“Out of the Box” features BPO musicians traveling Western New York to showcase architectural treasures and unique landmarks in the area. Previous episodes were recorded at various locations including Niagara Falls, the North Park Theatre, Buffalo City Hall, and Frank Lloyd Wright's Darwin Martin House and Graycliff estate.

The planetarium, which reopened to the public in October 2021 following a complete remodeling, includes several new state-of-the-art software and projection systems that create a 360-degree visually captivating experience for students and provide countless teaching opportunities for disciplines across campus.

Public programming at the planetarium, which includes laser light shows, documentaries, and astronomy-based features, is currently postponed amid the recent coronavirus surge.