Rochester Ensemble celebrates its 10th anniversary
alongside Quantum Mechanics 100th anniversary
October 18–19, 2025
Smith Hall, University of Rochester
Step into the unseen world of quantum mechanics with Subatomic Mysteries, an exhilarating fusion of music, dance, visual art, and science. Presented by Rochester chamber ensemble, fivebyfive, this immersive program invites audiences to experience the wonder and complexity of the tiniest building blocks of our universe — not through equations, but through sound, motion, and light.
Subatomic Mysteries is a first-of-its-kind exploration of quantum theory as interpreted by artists and is part of fivebyfive’s 10th anniversary season. When the musicians learned that 2025 is also the 100th anniversary year for Quantum Mechanics, they began a quest to collaborate and feature the abstract beauty of physics with the expressive power of music and dance.They are thrilled to be working with the University of Rochester’s Program of Dance and Movement and physicist Antonino Di Piazza of the Laboratory for Laser Energetics.
The program features all-new music by Amy Nam, Sean William Calhoun, Steve Danyew, and Felipe Pérez Santiago, each piece paired with original choreography and cutting-edge visual projections. Watch as dancers embody the strange elegance of entangled particles, wave-particle duality, and branching probabilities.
PROGRAM:
Forking Paths by Felipe Pérez Santiago, choreographed by Mariah Steele
Branches by Steve Danyew, choreographed by Ripp Greatbatch
Playing Dice by Sean William Calhoun, choreographed by Rose Pasquarello Beauchamp, featuring digital projection art by W. Michelle Harris
Quiet/Loud by Amy Nam, choreographed by Missy Pfohl Smith, with additional projection design by Harris
