Astronaut plays John Williams’ ‘Star Wars’ theme in first-ever violin solo in outer space

When you think of space, violins probably aren't the first thing to come to mind. But Sarah Gillis flipped that script. Imagine floating in the void, far from Earth, with nothing but a violin and John Williams’ ‘Rey’s Theme’ from Star Wars: The Force Awakens to keep you company. It’s not science fiction anymore—it’s history. Gillis became the first person to perform a violin solo in space, right from the Polaris Dawn mission. Her audience? The crew on board the spacecraft and... well, the universe.

This wasn't just a whimsical space concert. Gillis' performance, dubbed ‘Harmony of Resilience,’ was part of a collaboration between St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and El Sistema USA, aiming to spark inspiration and raise funds for both organizations. Music and space—two worlds coming together for a cause bigger than themselves.

In an interview, Gillis shared how deeply music has shaped her life. Her mom was a music teacher who drilled the fundamentals of classical training into her. Those long hours of practice? They paid off big time—not just in her musical career, but in her journey to becoming an astronaut. Gillis said that the discipline she learned from music prepared her for space exploration, where precision and creativity are just as important as in the concert hall.

John Williams’ piece, full of hope and optimism, is a perfect soundtrack for Gillis’ story. Rey, the character whose theme she performed, is an engineer, just like Gillis. That’s not lost on her. For her, the music symbolizes unity, resilience, and the endless potential of young people.

Want to hear this history-making solo? You can check it out online, where her notes, floating through space, sync up with musicians from across the globe. Imagine, musicians from Haiti, Sweden, Venezuela, and more, all joining in one beautiful harmony. It’s a symphony not just of sound, but of human potential.