Underground Sounds: Sam Nester

Tickets for this performance are sold out. Next performance series, Three Names by Sarah Grace Graves, ticket release: May 16 at 9am.

Join us for Underground Sounds, a unique music series in the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern!

This year, the series features national and international artists presenting compositions inspired by the vast, unique architecture of the Cistern and arranged especially for its extraordinary natural acoustics.

About This Program
Australian-born trumpet player, composer, and sound artist Sam Nester has created a site-specific musical composition for brass ensemble, designed to resonate within the historic Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern. Nester’s piece unfolds gradually over 25 minutes, exploring the Cistern’s vast 87,500-square-foot space and its unique 19-second reverb. The composition accentuates the space’s cathedral-like acoustics, transforming it into an immersive, meditative experience centered on water and its profound significance—both in the Cistern’s history and within the broader global water crisis. Accompanying the live performance is an evolving light installation that deepens the sensory experience, encouraging audiences to reflect on the societal implications of water access. Globally, approximately 2 billion people lack access to clean drinking water, and in the United States, over 2 million individuals still face this challenge in their homes. Through this performance, Nester invites contemplation on the essential role of water and the urgent disparities in its availability.

Cost: $25

Performance Times:

• March 13 at 6:30pm and 7:30pm – SOLD OUT
• March 14 at 6:30pm and 7:30pm – SOLD OUT
• March 15 at 5:30pm and 6:30pm – SOLD OUT
• March 16 at 5:30pm and 6:30pm – SOLD OUT

About the Artist
Sam Nester is an Australian-born trumpet player, composer, and sound artist based in New York. His work explores the relationship between humans and the natural world, harnessing natural processes to create immersive sound installations and musical compositions. Since 2022, Nester has collaborated with policy officers from the European Commission Directorate-General for Environment and scientists from the Joint Research Centre on sound installations at the nexus of art, science, and policy.

He has been the artist-in-residence with NYU Abu Dhabi’s Center for Genomics & Systems Biology, Bruny Island (Australia), the US National Parks in Hawai’i, and Italy’s Festival of Arts Design Acerenza. His commissioned works include site-specific environmental sound installations and compositions for the US State Department, Colby College, George Mason University, EcoArt Project, the National Parks Arts Foundation, and the City of Hobart (Australia).

As a performer, Nester has appeared with Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival & Lincoln Center Out of Doors, the Beijing Modern Music Festival, Paris Opera Ballet, Wordless Music Orchestra, Mark Morris Dance Group, Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, and the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. A Fulbright scholar, Nester earned his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts from the Manhattan School of Music, receiving the Helen Cohn Award for outstanding performance. He serves on The Juilliard School and Manhattan School of Music faculty.

Tickets & Availability
Ticket release dates for this set of performances are listed above. For release dates for future performances, please check the Underground Sounds page. We recommend marking the ticket release dates and times on your calendar as tickets will sell out quickly.

Waitlist
For any additional guests wishing to attend a sold-out performance, we will be taking an in-person first-come-first-served waiting list beginning exactly 30 minutes before each performance time.  

Ticket Refunds
All ticket purchases are final and non-refundable. Your purchase supports the work of Buffalo Bayou Partnership.