{"product_id":"the-flowering-desert","title":"The Flowering Desert","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRelease date: 25 September 2026\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExperimental opera company\u003cstrong\u003e Infinite Opera\u003c\/strong\u003e announces the release of \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Flowering Desert\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e, an immersive cosmic opera for domes, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the discovery of the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOriginally created and performed live at Birmingham's Thinktank Planetarium in May 2022, \u003cem\u003eThe Flowering Desert\u003c\/em\u003e has been reimagined as a binaural recording, allowing listeners to experience the work through headphones in a deeply immersive sonic environment. The release coincides with the 2025–2026 anniversary celebrations of one of the most significant astronomical discoveries of the 21st century. The opera follows the inner thoughts of an astrophysicist navigating the boundary between scientific fact and human imagination, exploring what it means to search the stars for answers. Through a bespoke \"music of the spheres\" score, audiences are invited inside the scientist's mind, becoming part of the TRAPPIST-1 system itself. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe work was inspired by the experiences of Professor Amaury Triaud of the University of Birmingham, a member of the team that discovered the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system in 2015–16. The identification of multiple planets orbiting within the habitable zone of a red dwarf star represented a paradigm-shifting moment in astrophysics, expanding scientific understanding of where life-supporting conditions might exist beyond our solar system. Since the discovery of TRAPPIST-1, astronomers have identified additional potentially habitable worlds orbiting red dwarf stars, including K2-18b, where recent observations have detected possible biosignatures in the planet's atmosphere. Meanwhile, the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope has renewed scientific interest in the TRAPPIST-1 system, particularly TRAPPIST-1e, which serves as the inspiration for the opera's central planetary character, Pantele. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe creation of \u003cem\u003eThe Flowering Desert \u003c\/em\u003eand its recording has been supported by the Vaughan Williams Foundation, Midlands4Cities,BEAST, Birmingham City University, the Royal Astronomical Society, the University of Birmingham Astrophysics Department, and Birmingham Thinktank Museum. Recording took place at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire's Bradshaw Hall and Recording Studios, while the immersive ambisonic mix used to create the binaural release was produced at BEAST Studios, University of Birmingham. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInfinite Opera is an innovative experimental opera company based in Birmingham, co-directed by librettist Roxanne Korda and composer Daniel Blanco Albert. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and site-responsive performance-making, the company reimagines opera as an evolving art form that places audiences at the centre of shared explorations of contemporary ideas and experiences.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRECORDING CREDITS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCast\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePantele: Roxanne Korda\u003cbr\u003eXoe: Hannah McDonald Flynn\u003cbr\u003eMeasurer: Roxanne Korda\u003cbr\u003eMother Star: Megan Artemova-Thomas, Dalma Sinka, Ed Harrisson \u0026amp; Teddy Woolgrove\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInfinite Opera ensemble\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eConductor: Daniel Blanco Albert\u003cbr\u003eFlute: Arjun Jethwa\u003cbr\u003ePiano: Dominika Blatt\u003cbr\u003eClarinet: Will Hammond\u003cbr\u003eViolin: Ricardo Brown\u003cbr\u003eFrench Horn: José Lluna\u003cbr\u003eViola: Alicja Humeniuk\u003cbr\u003ePercussion: Aidan Hammond\u003cbr\u003eCello: Lucy Samuels\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMusic edition by Daniel Blanco Albert \u003cbr\u003eAmbisonics mix by Milad Mardakheh \u003cbr\u003eRecording engineer David Kirkham\u003cbr\u003eRecorded at Bradshaw Hall (Birmingham)\u003cbr\u003eMixed at BEAST studios (Birmingham)\u003cbr\u003eCover artwork by Henry Korda\u003cbr\u003eBooklet visuals from the fulldome film by Leon Trimble and Infinite Opera\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCatalogue no: BRC030\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Birmingham Record Company","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":55636868497784,"sku":"BRC030","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"MP3","offer_id":55636815184248,"sku":"BRC030_DL","price":7.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"FLAC16","offer_id":55636815217016,"sku":"BRC030_DL","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"FLAC24","offer_id":55636868530552,"sku":"BRC030_DL","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"PDF Booklet","offer_id":55636815249784,"sku":"BRC030_BK","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0424\/6870\/4411\/files\/3000x3000_TFD_Album_Cover.png?v=1787311514","url":"https:\/\/nmc-recordings.myshopify.com\/products\/the-flowering-desert","provider":"NMC Recordings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}