Laurence Equilbey, conductor and artistic director of Insula Orchestra, an ensemble in residence at La Seine Musicale in Paris, is continuously seeking innovative ways to attract new audiences to classical music. A challenge she has pursued for several years using virtual reality, with three VR films created to support her works (Mozart 360, Beethoven 360, Archi Beethoven – available in the Unframed Collection catalog), and more recently with the immersive concert Beethoven Wars, blending classical artistic influences with manga. She is also the conductor and artistic director of the Accentus Choir, which is in residence at the Rouen-Normandy Opera and in Paris.
Could you tell us more about your various immersive productions?
Laurence Equilbey – From the moment we arrived at La Seine Musicale with the Hauts-de-Seine department, we wanted to create a constellation of projects offering new perspectives on classical music. This is how we began exploring virtual reality with Mozart and Beethoven.
L. E. – For me, innovation is at the heart of art. Throughout the history of music and the arts in general, there have always been moments of rupture and opportunities for renewal. Classical music, in particular, is a key to unlocking many worlds. My goal is to encourage younger generations to embrace this key. Innovation thus becomes both an artistic endeavor and a way to bring classical music closer to a wider audience.
L. E. – VR fascinates me because it bridges the unique sensations of a live concert—with its powerful vibrations—and an immersive experience accessible to a broader audience. This aspect interests me greatly because it can activate entirely new communities. This is the path we wanted to continue with a more ambitious project, indeed, Beethoven Wars with Antonin Baudry, a filmmaker from the cinema world.
How do you collaborate with directors, studios, and producers?
L. E. – It’s a true meeting of different worlds. Classical music and live performance are not often associated with digital or virtual reality. First, this requires adapting our respective vocabularies to establish a common language. Once this step is achieved, a shared passion emerges to highlight music and performance.
L. E. – Antonin Baudry, for example, is a film director. But once he discovered live performance, he fell in love with it! This perfectly illustrates the creativity of VR and immersive studios, which are reinventing music, cinema, and cutting-edge technologies. With Beethoven Wars, we mixed genres around an exceptional score, creating an artistically stimulating project. We even explored binaural sound, which immerses the listener in an enveloping sound space, to further enhance the experience.
How can we enhance the musical experience, and what role can binaural/3D sound play?
L. E. – In our latest VR project, Archi Beethoven, we incorporated an immersive sound format for a sonata, a musical form that deeply inspired 18th-century composers in their symphonies. This project invites the audience to explore music in three dimensions: it allows them to dive into the musical structure and experience an immersive reconstruction of Beethoven’s daily walks in Mödling, a path he used to take every morning around Vienna. It’s a real challenge to work in multiple dimensions. This time, it’s on a piece of the symphony known as Heroica. We imagined a truly immersive journey for the person experiencing it. It’s also a thrilling excerpt, with somewhat daring paths—almost like an adventure park, with zip lines and more.
L. E. – I would like such a project to offer a true immersion where music and interactive experiences keep participants on the edge of their seats. However, this poses technical challenges related to design, particularly in terms of 6DOF and mixed reality. For now, we are only at the conceptual stage, but fully adapting this idea to the medium would be a real accomplishment. This type of experience is especially fascinating for younger generations, who seem intrigued by these innovative approaches. Virtual reality, with its transgenerational nature, opens up exciting possibilities, and this is what motivates me to continue exploring.
