Sony and the Berlin Philharmonic explore new ways to create and experience classical music

Sony Corporation and Berlin Phil Media (BPM) have entered into a co-creation partnership focused on audiovisual production for the performing arts, remastering the Philharmonic's archive, exploring new ways to engage audiences, and researching the development and capabilities of musicians.

Sony Corporation and Berlin Phil Media GmbH, a subsidiary of the Berlin Philharmonic Foundation responsible for the Digital Concert Hall, have established a co-creation partnership to develop new ways of producing and sharing performing arts content through technology.

A long-standing relationship

The collaboration between Sony and the Berlin Philharmonic dates back to Herbert von Karajan, the orchestra's former chief conductor, and Norio Ohga, former president of Sony, who both contributed to the introduction of the compact disc.

Between 2012 and 2014, Sony and BPM conducted a proof of concept for advanced video production technology through the Digital Concert Hall, the orchestra's platform offering live concerts and archival recordings. That collaboration laid the groundwork for the current partnership.

Four areas of collaboration

• Filming and production for the performing arts. Sony and BPM will establish an infrastructure for audiovisual content production, combining BPM's production and distribution capabilities with Sony's imaging technologies, including cameras from its Cinema Line range and its live production and audio solutions.
• Remastering and enhancing the archive. The Philharmonic's audiovisual material will be remastered into high-resolution video using RS+™, a resolution enhancement service developed by Sony PCL Inc. Sony's audio processing, analysis and playback technologies will also be applied to the archive's audio recordings. In addition, the partners will use XYN™, Sony's spatial content creation solution, to develop new viewing experiences.
• New ways to engage audiences. The aim is to bring classical music closer to everyday life through new digital experiences and ways of enjoying musical performances within Sony's ecosystem.
• Technology supporting musicians. The partnership also includes organising lectures and workshops for artists, based on research by Dr. Shinichi Furuya of Sony Computer Science Laboratories into the development of performers' abilities from technological and ergonomic perspectives. These activities will be supported by sensor technologies, artificial intelligence and robotics.

The vision of Sony and Berlin Phil Media

Hiroshi Nakamura, Senior Vice President of Sony Corporation, says:

Through this collaboration, we will bring the appeal of the performing arts to a wider audience, create new visual experiences and contribute to the sustainable growth of this field.

Olaf Maninger, Managing Director of Berlin Phil Media and principal cellist of the Berlin Philharmonic, comments:

We share the conviction that exceptional audiovisual technology is essential to presenting classical music at the highest quality. The Digital Concert Hall was developed based on this technological vision.

Image credits: © Stefan Hoederath