What does a green energy transition sound like? Earth Day symphony at the Vogue Theater

Enjoy the symphonies of nature this Earth day at the University of British Columbia Vogue Theater. Indigenous elders, researchers, and musicians have come together to produce the Heavy Metal Suite concert, playing April 22 at 6PM at the Vogue Theater. 

The Heavy Metal Suite includes eight new works composed by musicians from around the world. Each composer wrote a piece inspired by an element being harvested from their home country to support green energy transitions. Highlighted elements include lithium from Australia for electric carb batteries, water from Canada for hydroelectric power, and copper from Chile to support growing renewable energy infrastructure. 

The concert is produced by the UBC Future Metals Initiative, an interdisciplinary cluster that is connecting leaders across Indigenous communities, Earth Sciences, policy, and engineering to promote equitable development of heavy metal harvesting necessary for emerging green technologies. The group hopes engaging the public through music will spark critical conversations surrounding heavy metals we depend on every day, but often spend little time thinking about. The concert will be released alongside a free ebook, Heavy Metal: Earth’s Minerals and the Future of Sustainable Societies. The ebook, edited by Philippe Tortell, the head of Earth Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences at UBC, is a compilation of essays by experts across disciplines examining different aspects of the mining industry. 

Click here to read more about the concert and ebook from co-contributors, Philippe Tortell and Tahltan Nation elder, Allen Edzerza.