Kendall Square Orchestra brings Boston’s most inventive minds — scientists, engineers, physicians, and entrepreneurs — together onstage to make music that matters. Since 2018, our 96‑member ensemble (drawn from 50+ institutions across Kendall Square) has transformed concert halls and pop‑up venues into laboratories of human connection, where artistry and inquiry fuel one another.
At the heart of our work is Symphony for Science, a bi‑annual concert that channels our collective creativity into real‑world impact. Through music, storytelling, and partnership, we raise critical funds for healthcare, homelessness, and STEM education initiatives—demonstrating how sound can heal, inspire, and unite.
Every performance, workshop, and community event reaffirms our belief that true innovation happens when bright minds collaborate beyond the lab: where precision meets passion, discovery meets delight, and every note carries the promise of something greater.
Our Purpose
Kendall Square Orchestra began in 2018 with a simple insight shared by two bench scientists far from Boston.
Kelly Clark and Elena Spencer first discovered music’s power to unite colleagues and fuel good when they co‑founded a small ensemble at their Michigan biopharmaceutical lab. Years later—each leading R&D operations at separate biopharma firms in Kendall Square—they reconnected over that spark and imagined something bigger: an orchestra built by and for the region’s science and technology community.
Their vision took shape when they invited conductor Kristo Kondakçi to lead the debut season, assembled a passionate administrative team, and opened auditions to musicians from every corner of Kendall Square. What began as a gathering of friends has grown into a 96‑member ensemble representing over 40 local companies and institutions. Today, K²O continues to bridge lab and stage—innovating through music, amplifying charitable causes in healthcare and STEM education, and proving that discovery sounds best when we make it together.
Our Story