Moth x Human by composer-violinist Ellie Wilson is a sonic journey into the world as it comes alive after dark.
This film captures a performance at the Southbank Centre, London, for the New Music Biennial 2025 in July 2025.
Moth data collected by scientists at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology has been sonified into immersive soundscapes, with each moth assigned a different sound. The ebb and flow of different species activity throughout the night is ‘performed’ alongside acoustic instruments, field recordings, electronics and visuals, creating a unique interspecies experience.
This thought-provoking new work highlights declining UK biodiversity. Nocturnal pollinators can be so easily overlooked, yet they play an essential role within our ecosystem and are as important as bees and butterflies. Their numbers have dropped significantly – by 28% since 1968, and by 40% in southern Britain – impacting wildlife that rely on them for food, such as birds, bats, and small mammals.
The Northern School of Art’s Animation Department, in collaboration with the wider creative community, developed a visual accompaniment to the composition. This piece features over 100 hand-rendered moth designs, crafted by talented creatives from our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. These intricate illustrations are brought to life through animation, seamlessly complementing the music.
Moth x Human was commissioned by Oxford Contemporary Music with support from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. It was part of the New Music Biennial 2025.
A recording of the Moth x Human premiere has been released by NMC and is available to buy: nmcrecs.lnk.to/MothxHuman
Find out more at:
ocmevents.org/project/new-music-biennial
PRS Foundation’s New Music Biennial is generously supported by Southbank Centre, Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture, BBC Radio 3, Arts Council England and NMC Recordings. You can find out more at prsfoundation.com