Eric Whitacre’s ‘Deep Field’ project to feature at SXSW Austin classical showcase
Classical Unlocked will return to the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin this March for the fourth year running, presenting a curated programme of artists alongside a live presentation of Eric Whitacre’s film project Deep Field: The Impossible Magnitude of Our Universe.
The initiative, led by curator Thea Paraskevaides, focuses on showcasing classical and cross-genre artists within the wider SXSW programme, highlighting performers who are redefining the role of classical music in contemporary culture. Artists appearing in the 2026 Classical Unlocked showcase include the French vocal trio Les Itinérantes, Cuban-Chinese-American cellist and interdisciplinary artist Suuvi, Irish composer-performer Jamie Duffy, Swiss harpist Kety Fusco, Nigerian-American baritone Babatunde – creator of the ‘Hip-Hopera’ concept – and Polish composer and pianist Hania Derej. A central event in this year’s programme will be a live presentation of Whitacre’s Deep Field project, presented in partnership with UK House and the UK’s Department for Business and Trade. Deep Field: The Impossible Magnitude of Our Universe is a collaboration between Whitacre, NASA, the Space Telescope Science Institute and immersive studio 59 Productions. The project combines imagery captured by the Hubble Space Telescope and other NASA missions with Whitacre’s orchestral score, recorded by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, alongside more than 8,000 voices from 120 countries who participated in Whitacre’s Virtual Choir. During the SXSW event Whitacre will narrate the film live, guiding audiences through a visual and musical journey from the Nevada night sky of his childhood to the furthest reaches of the observable universe. The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion exploring the intersection of science, data visualisation and artistic creation. Participants include former NASA astronaut Dr John Grunsfeld, astrophysicist Dr Frank Summers and visualisation scientist Dr Kimberly Arcand. SXSW Austin takes place from 12 – 18 March 2026. The Classical Unlocked programme forms part of UK House, hosted by the UK’s Department for Business and Trade, which showcases emerging UK innovation in areas including immersive media and creative technology.