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Robert Henke: FIRST LIGHT 

Electronic music pioneer Robert Henke unveils FIRST LIGHT – a visionary new audiovisual performance commissioned by the Barbican - bringing a complex and powerful surround-sound laser performance to the Barbican Hall in November 2026. 
 
Known also for his role as co-creator of Ableton Live, Robert Henke presents a new work where engineering, music and a powerful visual language converge. Using self-made software created specifically for this piece, laser projections transmit evolving, complex shapes in dialogue with the music and with each other - like a dance of light and sound. 

Conceptually, the piece draws from Henke’s fascination with astronomy, namely the idea of ‘first light’ - when a telescope captures its initial image of the universe. That moment, defined by a delicate balance of precision and unpredictability, becomes a metaphor for the work itself: a search for clarity emerging from noise, and an exploration of how curiosity, uncertainty, and technical exactitude can converge into a single, unfolding experience. 

Henke is also dedicating the piece to unsung voices of space exploration saying: 
“This work is dedicated to the female astronomers, astrophysicists, engineers, computer scientists, and mathematicians who contributed so much to our knowledge of the universe, yet often enough did not get the recognition they deserve.” 
 
Part-artist, part-science inspired engineer, Henke is widely celebrated as a leading figure in electronic music. As Monolake, he blurs the lines between ambient, club and electronic textures; and as audio visual performer he is exploring the artistic use of outdated computers as much as he embraces state of the art technology to create unique and personal experiences. 

Commissioned and produced by the Barbican 

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