Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Alexandra Gardner is an American composer who holds degrees from The Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University and Vassar College. Her work draws inspiration from diverse sources, including mythology, contemporary poetry, and her background as a percussionist. Gardner is celebrated for her inventive approach to composition, often blending acoustic instruments with electronic elements to create immersive soundscapes. Her music invites new audiences to experience contemporary music through its expressive sound and a flair for the imaginative and the unexpected.
In astronomy, the Perseids are an annual meteor shower visible in the Northern Hemisphere from mid-July to mid-August. Each year, Earth passes through a cloud of debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle, resulting in a spectacular display of natural fireworks as the debris burns up upon entering the atmosphere.
Gardner’s piece of the same name is inspired by the awe-inspiring experience of stargazing, drawing on the wonder of observing the night sky: from the glow of the Milky Way to the motion of satellites, constellations, clouds, and shooting stars. The composition begins with slow, overlapping layers of sound beneath a melody that progresses through the wind instruments and gradually develops into a dynamic, celebratory verse-chorus structure.
Alexandra Gardner is an American composer who holds degrees from The Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University and Vassar College. Her work draws inspiration from diverse sources, including mythology, contemporary poetry, and her background as a percussionist. Gardner is celebrated for her inventive approach to composition, often blending acoustic instruments with electronic elements to create immersive soundscapes. Her music invites new audiences to experience contemporary music through its expressive sound and a flair for the imaginative and the unexpected.
In astronomy, the Perseids are an annual meteor shower visible in the Northern Hemisphere from mid-July to mid-August. Each year, Earth passes through a cloud of debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle, resulting in a spectacular display of natural fireworks as the debris burns up upon entering the atmosphere.
Gardner’s piece of the same name is inspired by the awe-inspiring experience of stargazing, drawing on the wonder of observing the night sky: from the glow of the Milky Way to the motion of satellites, constellations, clouds, and shooting stars. The composition begins with slow, overlapping layers of sound beneath a melody that progresses through the wind instruments and gradually develops into a dynamic, celebratory verse-chorus structure.
