The Secret Symphony of Plants
Released on ONNA Music on October 17, 2025.
The Secret Symphony of Plants is living dialogue between nature and sound, an invitation to hear the Earth in ways we rarely imagine.
Conceived by Brent Chancellor, Coco Reilly, and Sophie Baudry in collaboration with ONNA for Artpark’s visionary new music program, this project brings together five innovative composers — Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Ricardo Romaneiro, John Kaefer, Marcus Foster, and Brent Chancellor — to explore the hidden harmonies of the plant world.
Across the wild beauty of Artpark in Western New York, ONNA’s team placed electrodes on native plants capturing the plants’ bioelectrical signals as they responded to light, temperature, and touch. These signals, subtle shifts in conductivity, were translated into MIDI data revealing each plants’ unique internal rhythms.
This living data became the foundation for new musical works. Each composer interpreted the plants’ unseen language, transforming it into rich, emotive compositions. The result is a genre-blurring album where human creativity and ecological intelligence intertwine.
Performed by the chamber orchestra LUX, conducted by Brent Chancellor, and recorded live at Artpark, The Secret Symphony of Plants is a testament to collaboration between artist and environment, science and spirit.
In keeping with ONNA’s regenerative ethos, album royalties directly support Artpark’s Conservation Fund, returning value to the land that gave this music its voice.
This is not just an album. It’s a symphony rooted in the Earth and a reminder that nature has always been singing.
Featured on NPR Morning Edidtion
Credits: Brent Chancellor (Composer & Conductor), Marcus Foster (Composer), John Kaefer (Composer), Ricardo Romaneiro (Composer), Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith (Composer), LUX Ensemble, Sophie Baudry (Producer), Coco Reilly (Producer), Bernd Gottinger (Mix Engineer)