DOME_LIVE Résonances Boréales

In the 360° dome production titled Boreal Resonances, the live piano performance of Roman Zavada meets footage of the aurora borealis captured in Canada’s Northwest Territories. The production is both a concert and a visual experience that brings the special atmosphere of northern landscapes closer to the audience.

The compositions of the pianist of Québécois and Ukrainian origin were born through an unusual creative process. Zavada took an upright piano into the Canadian wilderness, to the edge of the taiga, where he improvised for twenty hours around Prelude Lake. From these recordings he later shaped nine standalone pieces that draw from the silence of the landscape, the rhythm of nature, and the spectacle of the northern lights.

Roman Zavada is a self‑taught pianist and composer whose work gives an important role to improvisation and the immediate environment. He often sets up his piano in natural locations, which is why he is also referred to as a “field pianist.” For him, the location is not merely a backdrop but part of the creation: the weather, the light, the sounds, and the atmosphere of the landscape all influence the music that is born.

Zavada is also known as a live musical accompanist to silent films. In his Ciné-Piano performances he improvises to classic films, closely following the rhythm and mood of the images. Boreal Resonances connects music and visuals in a similar way, but this time in a 360° space filling an entire dome.

The aurora borealis recordings created by Bruno Colpron and Dominic St-Amant envelop the audience while Zavada performs his own compositions live. The production evokes the world beyond the 60th parallel and offers the audience the opportunity to experience more closely the tranquility and unique visual world of northern landscapes.

Boreal Resonances is for those who enjoy listening to contemporary piano music, are interested in nature and the visual arts, or simply wish to take part in an unusual performance that offers immersion and contemplation.