Otto in Antartica
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Sunday, November 1, 2026
Doors open at 5:30 pm | Show begins at 6 pm
$15 in advance (plus fees) | $20 at the door | $10 student tickets
In May 2026, Memphis native Kyra Sims became the first black musician to perform on all seven continents. She explored her sixth continent, Antarctica, with her horn, Otto, and a field recorder in hand. Her resulting piece, Otto in Antarctica, is an experiential musical journey through the most mysterious region of the world. Join Kyra as she recounts her adventures through the mediums of French horn, video, field recordings, spoken word, and more.
KYRA SIMS
Kyra Sims is a collaborative French Hornist, writer, and interdisciplinary performance artist residing in New York City. She has worked with artists and ensembles such as Rosalía, Lizzo, Jon Batiste, Earth, Wind & Fire, The Roots, Carole King, Alarm Will Sound, International Contemporary Ensemble, Roomful of Teeth, Frank Ocean, and My Brightest Diamond. Kyra appeared as a backing musician in Taylor Mac’s Pulitzer finalist work A 24-Decade History of Popular Music, the critically acclaimed pop opera (and subsequent film adaptation) Now I’m Fine, and the internationally renowned podcast Welcome to Night Vale. She has also made television appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Mozart in the Jungle.
Kyra has worked as a musician both on Broadway and Off, originating chairs at Tony-Nominated Broadway show Illinoise, Drama Desk-Nominated shows Carmen Jones, Superhero, and Soft Power, and the Emmy-Nominated online show Ratatouille: A Tik Tok Musical.
In January 2026 Kyra traveled to Antarctica as a Polar STEAM fellow, composing and gathering field recordings alongside microbiologists, geologists, and geochemists. Her piece inspired by the voyage premiered in Spring 2026 in Australia, her seventh continent. This accomplishment makes her the first Black musician to perform on all seven continents.
Recording credits include Noname’s Sundial, Zola Jesus’ Taiga, Disparition’s Faite, original cast recordings for Illinoise, Superhero, and Grammy-nominated Soft Power, and films such as the well-received documentary Chèche Lavi, and Here and Now starring Sarah Jessica Parker.
As a theatre maker, Kyra worked for a decade as an Ensemble member of The New York Neo-Futurists, where she wrote, directed, and premiered nearly 200 short theatrical works based on her lived experiences and the world around her. Her work with the company earned her a nomination for a New York Innovative Theatre Award for Outstanding Sound Design. She now works independently as an electronic performance artist, blending French horn with vocals, electronics, and spoken word, blending slice-of-life themes with hopeful Afrofuturism.
