The “la Caixa” Foundation project, Symphony, invites visitors to feel like a musician in an orchestra with the support of virtual reality technology. An immersive audiovisual experience to travel through emotions and music.

By simply putting on a pair of glasses, the spectator perceives how their surroundings have changed. Now they are sitting in a chair at the Gran Teatro del Liceo in Barcelona and are welcomed by maestro Gustavo Dudamel, in the midst of more than a hundred musicians who make up the prestigious Mahler Chamber Orchestra. In just a few moments, the conductor will give the entrance to Ludwing van Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. The experience begins.

symphony

Rehearsals at the Liceu with conductor Gustavo Dudamel. The sound recording was made using the latest technology. Photos: “la Caixa” Foundation.

An innovative concept

Using virtual reality (VR) technology, Symphony offers a journey to the heart of music through the compositions of Beethoven, Gustav Mahler and Leonard Bernstein. Conceived and promoted by the “la Caixa” Foundation with the aim of bringing classical music to all audiences, this travelling project – awarded 17 international prizes – deconstructs a symphony orchestra to show its simplicity and offers the user the experience of an emotionally active listening experience thanks to the intervention of a 360º camera.

The immersive proposal, available until the 9th of June at CaixaForum Palma, lasts about 40 minutes and begins with the projection of a panoramic film that immerses the spectator in a universe of images and sounds. Next, in another room, it is the turn of the virtual reality experience, which allows a 360-degree view of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. Visitors will feel like a member of the orchestra and experience the full energy of a unique musical experiment.