Until recently, a violin solo had never before been performed in space. Thanks to violinist and astronaut Sarah Gillis, it's finally been done-- and with Star Wars music, too.
Gillis performed "Rey's Theme" by John Williams along with other members of the global symphony, and it's more of a feat than many watching might realize. Normally, on Earth, violinists depend on gravity to help maintain contact between the bow and the strings. But there's no gravity in space!
What's even more fascinating is that her performance was synced with a symphony made up of performers from all over the world. As the spacecraft orbited the planet, the entire piece came together by musicians from different parts of the globe working together.
Aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft on the Polaris Dawn mission with only her fellow astronauts as an audience, Gillis performed the piece flawlessly. Williams' "Rey's Theme" debuted in Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens to introduce Daisy Ridley's character, Rey.
The piece was chosen specifically for the event, as a collaboration between St Jude Children’s Research Hospital and El Sistema USA. It symbolizes hope and resilience, concepts that align perfectly with both organizations' missions.
Nothing like this has ever been done before, and it's fitting that the event was conducted to support children around the world. Star Wars has, first and foremost, always been about kids, inspiring them to imagine, create, and persist. Star Wars can be for anyone, but it was always intended to be made with children in mind. Kids are smart. They understand stories. They remember how stories made them feel. Why do you have such fond memories of watching Star Wars as a kid? Because it meant something to you.
Music, much like Star Wars itself, has so much power to enrich and inspire the children of our world. Gillis and her team could not have chosen a better performance to reflect that.