Brent Chancellor released the album The Secret Symphony of Plants on ONNA Music, a multidisciplinary recording project created in collaboration with Artpark’s new music initiative in Western New York. Conceived by Chancellor alongside producers Coco Reilly and Sophie Baudry, the project explores the intersection of music, ecology, and technology through newly commissioned works inspired by the bioelectrical activity of living plants.
The album features original compositions by Chancellor, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Ricardo Romaneiro, John Kaefer, and Marcus Foster, performed by the chamber orchestra LUX under Chancellor’s direction and recorded live at Artpark. Using plant-generated MIDI data captured from native flora across the park grounds, each composer transformed the plants’ electrical signals into distinct musical works, creating an album that blends contemporary classical composition, sound art, and environmental storytelling.
Released on October 17, 2025, The Secret Symphony of Plants received national attention through coverage on NPR’s Morning Edition, highlighting the project’s innovative fusion of science, nature, and orchestral performance. In keeping with ONNA’s regenerative mission, royalties from the recording support Artpark’s Conservation Fund, reinforcing the project’s commitment to artistic and environmental sustainability.