M.A.R.S. was born in 2017 as Festival M.A.R.S., a vision conceived and curated by Wen Liu in Los Angeles.

www.festivalmars.com


This international, multidisciplinary festival set out to blend contemporary music, art, and science into transformative new forms. Festival M.A.R.S. sought to open pathways for understanding our present and future by weaving together diverse disciplines, aiming to create a platform for renowned musicians and artists worldwide. The festival fosters fresh perspectives on music through cross-artistic pairings, inviting audiences to witness music’s resonance when intertwined with art and science. Here, music, art, and science join forces to achieve what no single field could alone: to inspire changes in mindset, behavior, and deeper human understanding across various dimensions.

The mission of M.A.R.S. is to explore a new vision that merges science and technology with the creative expression of music and art. At the heart of Festival M.A.R.S. lies this mission to illuminate how art, music, and science respond to our rapidly evolving reality. While science unravels the mysteries of our world, music and art reveal their impact on our humanity. These handpicked, meticulously curated events blur the boundaries between music and applied arts, expanding the musical imagination and enriching the cultural landscape beyond the traditional contemporary music festival.


In each collaboration, artists choose a theme that shapes their creative journey, offering audiences a captivating tapestry of interdisciplinary expression. Since its inception, Festival M.A.R.S. has welcomed over a hundred musicians and artists, including the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble Pamplemousse, and creative visionaries such as Tiffany Trenda, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Jay Mark Johnson, Natacha Diels, Alexander Schubert, Katharina Rosenberger, and Ashley Fure.

Festival M.A.R.S. has received wide acclaim, featured in LA Times, LA Weekly, We Like LA, LA Daily News, Whittier Daily News, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star, Vents Magazine, Downtown LA, InSideSoCal, Artillery, Happening in DTLA, LA Downtown News, DoLA, Discover Los Angeles, 89.3 KPCC, 93.1 JACK FM, Art and Cake LA, Cartwheel Magazine, CBS Los Angeles, New Classic LA, LA Independent Creative, Classical Concerts in LA, KUSC Arts Alive, Downtown Weekly, KCRW, and IAA USA.