Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey, is presented with live orchestral and choral accompaniment. 

Long recognized as one of the greatest science-fiction works of all time, 2001: A Space Odyssey is celebrated for its technological realism, its innovative, Oscar-winning special effects, and its bold use of music. The film brought worldwide fame to both Richard Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra and the music of György Ligeti. It also created one of cinema’s most memorable images as a spaceship floats serenely through space to the strains of Johann Strauss’ The Blue Danube waltz.  

Building toward a world-premiere performance in July 2010, London’s Southbank Centre worked closely with the British Film Institute, the rights holder Warner Bros., and the Kubrick estate to create a music-free version of the film, while the bespoke score was created in collaboration with the Philharmonia Orchestra and conductor André de Ridder. 

Since then, there have been multiple sold-out screenings of 2001: A Space Odyssey with live orchestral accompaniment in Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall. It has also been performed in more than 25 countries around the world by premier orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.