The Black Hole Symphony: A Cosmic Sound and Storytelling Encounter by The Universe on Stage & JPO

The Universe on Stage duo return with another production of their previously sold-out, most ambitious show yet, The Black Hole Symphony.

This breathtaking experience will, once again, run for three performances only on 23 and 25 April 2026 and is brought in collaboration with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra (JPO), who are led in conduction by acclaimed Maestro, Daniel Boico. Here’s what you need to know.

The Black Hole Symphony Universe on Stage and JPO | What's on in Joburg

The Black Hole Symphony is a cosmic exploration with a live soundtrack

With the help of the JPO, The Black Hole Symphony promises to be a one-of-a-kind exploration of music, science, and imagination, offering a symphonic journey through one of nature’s greatest enigmas: the black hole.

Music and science intertwine in two acts

Composed and performed by Yasheen Modi, with narration by Dr Luca Pontiggia and visuals by Darius Botha, The Black Hole Symphony unfolds as a six-movement orchestral story that illuminates what black holes are, what they reveal about our universe, and what secrets they hold for time travel and our future.

Each show features two out-of-this-world acts (divided by an interval) with completely original compositions:

Act 1

Intro
Movement 1: Einstein, Eratosthenes and Axioms
Movement 2: Neutron Stars, Black Holes, and a new piece
Movement 3: Fur Elise Remix, Birth of Stars, Regulator

Act 2

Movement 4: Large / small, Sad love, and Yin Yang
Movement 5: A new piece, Ligo, and 6tuplets
Movement 6: Telescope, Equation, Finale

Unmasking Black Holes through multi-sensory storytelling

“People always say the music is incredible and moving,” says Yasheen Modi. “So, one day I asked Luca – “what if we had a show that focused on the music?”. He’d always dreamed of collaborating with an orchestra, so the idea evolved and we decided to do a symphony. The first track we composed was pure magic.”

What began as a small experiment in composition grew into an eighteen-piece symphonic journey where music, science, and storytelling intertwine. Between each movement, Dr Luca Pontiggia narrates short tales of black holes, each story unfolding into music and visuals that expand the imagination, echoing the evolution of the universe itself.

The Black Hole Symphony | What's on in Joburg

Book now and stand to win a huge cash prize!

Stand to win R10 000 in cash, courtesy of the Universe on Stage. All you need to do to be eligible:

Buy your tickets to the Black Hole Symphony before Friday, 3 April 2026
Tag a friend under this post
Follow @theuniverseonstage on Instagram

If the show manages to sell 2000 total tickets, the cash prize will be upped to R20 000!

Cost: From R180pp to R620pp, book via Webtickets.

When: Thursday, 23 April and Saturday, 25 April 2026 | Thursday at 7.30pm, Saturday at 2pm and 7pm
Where: Linder Auditorium, Wits Parktown Education Campus, 27 St Andrews Rd, Parktown, Johannesburg