Pinchas Zukerman Photo: Courtesy of BMF

Michel van der Aa, director and composer behind virtual reality music experience One Eight, which premiered at the  recently ended Beijing Music Festival, sat down with Zou Shuang, the festival's artistic director, at a forum to discuss the relationship between music and technology. 

Van der Aa's One Eight provides a special 15-minute-long experience for audiences with VR gear. He explained that he was inspired to make the experience since his ideas were something that could not be accomplished by traditional stage performances.  

In his eyes, the potential of VR lies in that it presents a personalized experience for each and every user. In One Eight, the user plays an active role in shaping the experience, leading to each playthrough being completely unique to each individual. 

"If Mozart were alive today, he couldn't help but try out this new technology," Van der Aa explained.