NASA Langley marks US 250th anniversary with "Symphony Under the Stars" concert

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Scenes and sounds from the July 16 “Stars, Stripes, and Supernovas – Symphony Under the Stars” event at NASA Langley.

NASA/Joe Atkinson

NASA Langley’s “Stars, Stripes, and Supernovas – Symphony Under the Stars” event brought employees, families, and community members together for an evening filled with music, connection, and celebration.

Organizers planned the event, which took place July 16, to mark the 250 th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America.

The evening featured a dynamic mix of performances from an orchestra that included NASA Langley employees and members of the Williamsburg Youth Orchestra, as well as smaller group performances from employees and special guest artist Karl Werne.

Musicians perform at NASA Langley’s “Stars, Stripes, and Supernovas – Symphony Under the Stars” event.

NASA/Mark Knopp

“It’s fun to bring people together, to share their diverse talents in order to create something that’s meaningful – and in this case something that was very beautiful too,” said Jennifer Kibler, deputy director of the Research Directorate at NASA Langley.

The orchestra played a selection of patriotic favorites and space-inspired pieces that highlighted the creativity and talent within the community. “America the Beautiful,” “God Bless America,” and “Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity” from Gustav Holst’s orchestral suite “The Planets” were among the songs they performed.

The event, which also took place just one day before NASA Langley’s 109 th birthday, served as a reminder of the spirit that defines the center—scientists, engineers, communicators, and staff coming together to celebrate not only NASA’s mission, but the people who make that mission possible.

“This was a big team effort,” said Nicole Oman, administrative management specialist with the Research Directorate. “It wouldn’t have been a success without the contributions of every single person.”

Left to right: Guest artist Karl Werne performs with NASA Langley’s Lena Pascale, Jonathan Rathsam, and Kelly Murphy.

NASA/Mark Knopp