THE GIFT Comes to The Music Center Next Month

For one night only, The Music Center will present The Gift, an immersive installation for Angelenos of all ages that explores deep emotional themes of grief, loss and human connection through contemporary astrophysics research. This thought-provoking experience, which involves reading the illustrated book The Gift, will be held on Saturday, February 8, 2025, from 6:30–9:30 p.m., in The Music Center’s iconic Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. A special event featuring actor, director, producer and literacy advocate LeVar Burton will precede the wondrous installation, from 4:30–6:30 p.m. Burton will join the creators of The Gift in the Founders’ Room of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for an intimate discussion on the celestial and social themes of the installation.

The Music Center Presents: The Gift is among more than 70 exhibitions and programs presented as part of PST ART, a collaboration that takes place every five years featuring arts organizations from all over Los Angeles. The latest edition of this landmark regional event, PST ART: Art & Science Collide, which debuted in September 2024, explores the intersections of art and science, both past and present. PST ART is presented by Getty.

“Together with the creators of The Gift, we have curated an immersive and transformative experience that challenges often aggressive narratives that have dominated astrophysics storytelling. Angelenos of all ages will be offered an alternative lens to view and appreciate the cosmos, as well as ponder on the fragility and continuum of life, in a more nurturing, tender and poetic way,” said Rachel S. Moore, president and CEO of The Music Center. “As L.A.’s performing arts center, we hope this artistic installation can become a sanctuary for solace and reflection for many in our communities who have been impacted by the Southern California wildfires. The Gift, including the free special conversation featuring LeVar Burton, will help us learn about ourselves and each other from knowing more about the stars—and find ways to replace despair with renewal and hope.”

The Gift is co-created by three visionaries: Janani Balasubramanian, a creator and researcher who merges art with scientific inquiry; Dr. Natalie Gosnell, an observational astrophysicist and associate professor of physics at Colorado College; and Dr. Andrew Kircher, a creative director whose expertise in immersive design bridges art and technology. At its core, The Gift delves into the science of companion systems: the fates of two stars in close orbit, bound by gravity, that are inextricably linked. As one star in a closely bound system nears the end of its life, it transfers its material—everything it has, everything it is—as a gift to its companion, making the companion star appear brighter and bluer.

“Astrophysics is really a discipline of storytelling, where we use clues gathered from telescopes to better understand objects in the sky. With The Gift, together with my co-creators Janani Balasubramanian and Dr. Andrew Kircher, we tell a story inspired by my astrophysics research in a way that is inviting, welcoming and weaves together themes of grief, loss and renewal,” said Dr. Natalie Gosnell. “Thanks to the generosity of the Getty and our collaboration with The Music Center, we are thrilled to participate in PST ART: Art & Science Collide and bring The Gift to Los Angeles for the first time.”

Participants of The Music Center Presents: The Gift will enter a music-filled Stern Grand Hall in The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion (designated as the reading room) where they will encounter the easy-to-read book The Gift. The story, which will be available in five languages—English, Spanish, French, Simplified Chinese and Korean—with large-print text for enhanced readability, invites participants to engage with the science behind the stars in a deeply personal and interactive way. Guests who plan to attend the free special conversation featuring LeVar Burton and creators of The Gift are encouraged to experience the immersive installation in advance of the highly anticipated conversation.

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