DOME_LIVE Résonances Boréales

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

The compositions of the Quebec-born pianist of Ukrainian descent were created 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 independent pieces that draw on the silence of the landscape, the rhythm of nature, and the spectacle of the aurora borealis.

Roman Zavada is a self-taught pianist and composer whose work places great emphasis on 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 itself: the weather, the light, the sounds, and the atmosphere of the landscape all influence the music that comes into being.

Zavada is also known for his live musical accompaniment 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 fully immersive 360° dome space.

The Northern Lights footage created by Bruno Colpron and Dominic St-Amant envelops the viewers while Zavada performs his own compositions live. The production evokes the world beyond the 60th parallel and offers the audience an opportunity to experience more closely the tranquility and distinctive visual universe of northern landscapes.

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