José Francisco Salgado is an Emmy-nominated astronomer (BS in Physics, Univ. of Puerto Rico; PhD in Astronomy, Univ. of Michigan), experimental photographer, visual artist, and public speaker who creates multimedia works that communicate science in engaging ways. As the Executive Director and co-founder of KV 265, a non-profit science and arts education organization, Dr. Salgado collaborates with orchestras, composers, and musicians to present films that provoke curiosity and a sense of wonder about the Earth and the Universe.

 

His Science & Symphony films have been presented in 260 concerts and 215 lectures reaching a combined audience of more than 480,000 people in 21 countries. Orchestras that have presented these works include the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, the San Francisco Symphony, New World Symphony, and the Orchestra Teatro Regio Torino. His first two films were named by the International Astronomical Union and UNESCO as Special Projects for the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009). In 2012 his film "Gustav Holst's The Planets" was chosen for Ravinia Festival's One Score, One Chicago initiative. In 2014, his collaboration with composer Christopher Theofanidis, "The Legend of the Northern Lights" was premiered with Grant Park Orchestra to critical acclaim in front of 32,000 people. In 2016, his short film "Carol of the Lights" was commissioned by Keith Lockhart and Boston Pops and presented 33 times to almost 75,000 people.

 

From 2006 until 2008 Dr. Salgado hosted "Nuestra Galaxia", a weekly astronomy news segment on Univision Chicago (WGBO) for which he received an Emmy nomination. From 2010 until 2012 Dr. Salgado produced and presented short science films with musician/composer Tom Bailey (formerly of British pop group Thompson Twins) as part of the audiovisual ensemble Bailey-Salgado Project.

 

As an experimental photographer, Salgado has visited more than 30 scientific sites in remote places including the Atacama desert, the French Pyrenees, and the South African Karoo, and has contributed visuals to documentaries produced for the History, Discovery, BBC, and National Geographic channels. He has also served as contributing writer for Digital Photography Review (DPReview.com). As a public speaker, he has given lectures in all seven continents, including a presentation at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.

 

Dr. Salgado’s work with KV 265 has been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Four of his Science & Symphony films have been recognized by UNESCO for the their educational value.