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Milky Way, Meteors and More

Join Grand Canyon Conservancy Residency alum Dr. David Koerner for a piano concert under the Milky Way during a Meteor Shower.

  • August 12, 2026
  • 8:00PM–10:00PM MST
  • McKee Amphitheater, Grand Canyon National Park
Dr. David Koerner at piano, Kitt Summer Triangle

Astronomer/Musician and Grand Canyon Conservancy Residency alum Dr. David Koerner will play classical piano pieces interleaved with interpretive comments about the sky during peak activity of the Perseid Meteor shower. Meteor counts may reach 50-100 shooting stars per hour. The Summer Triangle will be almost directly overhead with the Milky Way running through it. Works by Chopin, Saint-Saens, Ravel, and Prokofiev together with original pieces by Dr. Koerner will highlight the stars and constellations of the Summer Triangle. 

David Koerner headshot

Dr. David Koerner

Astronomer in Residence, 2024

David is an emeritus professor of astronomy at Northern Arizona University and holds a master’s degree in instrumental performance. During his residency, he blended his passions by offering a series of night sky talks and astronomy-themed music performances, all centered around the theme “Deep Time in Earth and Sky.” David guided telescope viewing and gave night sky tours talks and piano concerts at both the North and South Rim. During his time at Grand Canyon, Dr. Koerner worked on a book that connects individuals with vast stretches of time, and wrote musical compositions that emotively represent significant periods of time in Grand Canyon’s sky and strata.