LA Phil launches virtual reality orchestra

There may be but a small crowd of people who stand at the intersection of love for classical music and interest in virtual reality technology, but if you are one of those folks (and you're visiting LA this fall), then I've got some good news for you.

VAN Beethoven is a virtual reality experience using Oculus's 360-degree and 3D technology that allows visitors to experience a private concert with the Los Angeles Philharmonic from a customized truck, which is complete with authentic carpet and seating from the Walt Disney Concert Hall. For no extra charge, viewers can don an Oculus Rift headset and enjoy part of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony in a pretty unique way. The VR experience allows guests not only to see and hear the performance of the orchestra, but also feel the quality of the acoustics within the hall.

"Music is a beautiful symbol of unity, and it is very important to share the joy of music with people from all walks of life and from the many different communities in Los Angeles and beyond," says conductor Gustavo Dudamel. "I have often said music is a fundamental human right, and using this technology helps us to make this mission even stronger."

VAN Beethoven will travel across the greater Los Angeles area from September 11 to October 18. For more info, check out LA Phil's website.

Comments

Midday Muse

Yesterday, just across the street from a coffee shop near the town square, someone caught my attention. A girl, no more than sixteen, though perhaps younger, appeared on the sidewalk with her dog. She wore a beautiful sundress, the kind that sways gently in the late afternoon breeze. She was striking — mixed race, maybe a European father and a Filipina mother — and there was something about her aura, the way she moved, that reminded me of a ballerina from a Degas painting. For a moment, I couldn’t quite place what it was that drew my gaze. I’m forty-six, married, a father of two. It’s been years since the sight of a stranger has stopped me mid-step. But there she was, and I felt a quick, disorienting pull — not love, not even lust in the conventional sense, but something more confusing. She walked into a nearby pizzeria, her dog trotting obediently beside her. I followed — not out of any conscious decision, but more out of curiosity, the kind that makes us read the ending of a story ev...

From Puli Peaks to Picture Books

Ever see art that makes you want to step right inside and look around? Meet Shih-Yu Lin, a Taiwan-born illustrator whose work does exactly that. I came home one evening, scrolling my phone, expecting just the usual noise. Then I found his drawings. His pictures burst with color and loose charm. They're lively, dreamy, and you can feel his happiness in every stroke. It’s rare to find art that doesn’t just show joy, but shares it—and I realized that’s what makes his work such a treasure. Shih-Yu was born in Taipei and grew up in Puli, a small mountain town that feels like a painting itself. After discovering his love for picture books, he earned an MA in Children’s Book Illustration from Cambridge School of Art in 2017. He’s been drawing nonstop ever since. Want to escape into a brighter, warmer world for a bit? Check out his Facebook . Don’t be surprised if you end up smiling the whole time.

The Endurance Artist

I recently stumbled upon the work of Margritt Martinet , whose drawings are giving my brain a delightful yet exhausting workout. This French artist, you see, deals in the glorious, mind-bending borderland between the organic and the futuristic. She doesn't just create art; she crafts entire visual universes that are so immersive and dynamic you feel like you should be wearing a spacesuit just to look at them. My mind simply cannot wrap itself around the sheer volume of focused physical labor that goes into these things. The pieces are intricate, layered, and incredibly consistent. But what truly inspires—and simultaneously mocks—me is her patience. This, my friends, is the real superpower. I once attempted a similar large-scale, intricate project. It started so well: my early lines were sharp, and my geometric shapes were perfect. Then, slowly but surely, as the hours stretched and the cramping started in my wrist, the inevitable descent began. The sharp lines became... a little mo...

finding cain

Search This Blog