Cornell Hosts Immersive Audio Experience "The World According to Sound"

The blindfolded audience will be taken on a sonic journey exploring different ways of knowing on March 23.

Mar. 12, 2026 at 3:49am

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Cornell University is hosting a performance of "The World According to Sound" on March 23 at 6 p.m. in Sage Chapel. The immersive audio experience, where the audience sits blindfolded, is part of a 25-campus tour by the duo behind the show. The performance aims to highlight "the spirit of academic inquiry" and use sound as a way to understand the world in new ways.

Why it matters

The World According to Sound performance is part of Cornell's efforts to bridge the gap between the arts and sciences, using sound as a medium to explore different "ways of knowing" about the world. The show challenges the audience to reconsider how they perceive and understand their surroundings by removing their sense of sight.

The details

The World According to Sound, an artist duo composed of Chris Hoff '02 and Sam Harnett, are bringing their new show "Ways of Knowing" to Cornell as part of a national tour. The performance will feature a compilation of their work over the past 10-12 years, offering the audience a "best of" experience. The duo aims to break down barriers between the sciences and humanities, using sound as a tool for academic inquiry and new modes of understanding.

  • The World According to Sound performance will take place on March 23, 2026 at 6 p.m.

The players

The World According to Sound

An artist duo composed of Chris Hoff '02 and Sam Harnett, known for their immersive audio performances that challenge the audience's perception of the world.

Cornell University

The Ivy League institution hosting the performance of "The World According to Sound" in Sage Chapel on its Ithaca, New York campus.

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What they’re saying

“This is a compilation of things we've been working on over the last 10-12 years, a 'best of the World According to Sound' show. And it's an introduction to this perspective for people who might not consider themselves sound aficionados or sound studies people.”

— Chris Hoff, Producer

“The humanities give us new ways to understand the things we think we know. The arts and sciences are about pursuing different ways of knowing. The show is an exercise in using sound, which is often neglected or overlooked, as a way of knowing.”

— Sam Harnett, Producer

What’s next

The World According to Sound performance at Cornell on March 23, 2026 is part of a 25-campus tour the duo is undertaking this spring.

The takeaway

By using immersive audio to challenge the audience's perception of the world, The World According to Sound performance aims to bridge the gap between the arts and sciences, encouraging new modes of understanding and academic inquiry through the often overlooked medium of sound.