Soundscapes of Emotions: Connecting Through Music
"I love thinking with sounds and my dreams are written in music.
My passion is more than performance, it's about inspiring, healing, and connecting.
With every note, I aim to create a positive impact on the world."
Lucilla Rose Mariotti
As a classical violinist, my passion goes beyond performance. I believe that music has the unique ability to inspire, heal, and connect people on a deep emotional level. I often reflect on the power of sound as a means of thinking and dreaming; every note I play is an expression of my vision for a more harmonious, and compassionate world. With the project Soundscapes of Emotions: Connecting Through Music, I have undertaken a series of concerts dedicated to exploring the intimate relationship between music, emotion, and connection. My aim is to create an immersive and transformative experience for the audience, one that fosters empathy and encourages positive change.
Coloured soundscapes:
A Journey Through Music and Multisensory Experiences
2023/24 Carne Junior Fellowship
Through my journey as a musician, I have been honoured to receive the Carne Junior Fellowship, which has enabled me to develop this project in depth. This prestigious award, supported by the generosity of Philip Carne, provided me the opportunity to explore the potential of music to enhance well-being, and engage emotions. By focusing on works that evoke a profound emotional response, my aim was to offer a new perspective on classical music while engaging the audience in meaningful, multisensory experiences.
The Soundscapes of Emotions project began during my Master in Performance Diploma at the Royal College of Music (RCM), where I chose to delve deeper into the intersection of performing arts, health, and well-being. During my studies, I discovered the fascinating phenomenon of synaesthesia, the ability to see sounds and hear colours. This led me to explore how music, as a powerful art form, could be connected with well-being and stimulate a deep emotional response. In particular, I was drawn to the works of Olivier Messiaen, who experienced synaesthesia and used it as a key component of his compositions. His Quartet for the End of Time, composed during his imprisonment in a World War II prisoner-of-war camp in 1940, was groundbreaking for its explicit reference to specific colours associated with musical notes. Messiaen's belief that music can convey the visual experience of sound inspired me to delve deeper into the relationship between colour, emotion, and music.
My work on this project has also been profoundly influenced by Jean Sibelius, whose music is often associated with synaesthesia. Sibelius himself claimed to see specific colours when hearing violin music, particularly during certain melodic passages. His compositions, inspired by the Finnish landscapes, blend nature, spirituality, and synaesthetic experiences in a powerful way. I was introduced to Sibelius's works through the Sibelius Society in Italy, where I had the privilege of sharing my thoughts on the composer. Later, I visited Finland, where I explored the locations that shaped his music. These experiences deepened my understanding of how the natural surroundings of Finland influenced Sibelius’s creative process. You can read more about my insights and reflections in my article for the Sibelius Society here: Il mio viaggio alla ricerca dell’anima di Sibelius – Sibelius Society Italia
As my research deepened, I began to focus more on how to incorporate synaesthetic and multisensory elements into my performances, aiming to offer audiences an emotional and sensory experience. This became a central theme of my project. As part of the 2023/24 Carne Junior Fellowship at the RCM, I had the opportunity to further develop and showcase this vision. I organized a series of performances that brought together talented musicians from the RCM to explore the integration of sound, sight, and emotion in music. These performances were designed to engage the audience not only through the music but also through dynamic visual elements, such as changing stage lighting and projections that echoed the synaesthetic experiences of composers like Messiaen and Sibelius. This approach was aimed at offering the audience a multisensory journey that would bring their emotional and sensory responses to the forefront.
The first showcase of the Fellowship, which took place in November 2023, focused on Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time. For this performance, I brought together a cellist, a clarinettist, and a pianist from the RCM. The goal was not only to perform this iconic piece but to amplify its emotional depth by integrating a visual element through changing stage lighting. The lighting design was carefully synchronized with the music, eliciting a heightened emotional response from the audience and creating a unique synesthetic experience that connected the auditory and visual elements of the performance. Additionally, a researcher from the Centre for Performance Science was invited to introduce the concept of synaesthesia to the audience, providing them with a deeper understanding of the subject and enhancing their engagement with the performance.
The second Fellowship showcase, titled Echoes of Finland: Sibelius in Sight and Sound was held in March 2024. In this performance, I collaborated with fellow musicians from the RCM to perform Sibelius's Piano Trio in C Major 'Loviisa', Piano Trio in D Major 'Korpo', and the water-inspired Vattendropper for violin and cello. Drawing from Sibelius’s vivid connection to the Finnish landscape, we aimed to create an immersive, multisensory experience by combining the music with visual elements inspired by nature, particularly the landscapes that shaped Sibelius’s compositions. This showcase used changing stage lighting and projections to reflect the moods and atmospheres of the music, allowing the audience to connect visually with the natural imagery evoked by Sibelius’s work.
The third Fellowship showcase, Aurora Harmonica: Musical Canvas of Northern Skies, took place in July 2024. This performance featured a trio and quartet ensemble, comprising a cellist, pianist, violist, and another violinist, who collaborated to perform a Piano Trio by Sibelius, a Piano Trio by Grieg, and one of the pieces included in the Wood Works album with Nordic folk tunes arranged by The Danish Quartet. The concert concept was designed to explore the various shades of Northern soundscapes, integrating the natural elements and synesthetic qualities of both Sibelius and Grieg’s music. We also focused on Northern sky landscapes, incorporating visual representations of these elements through dynamic projections and stage lighting. This was an opportunity to expand on the themes introduced in the second showcase and to further push the boundaries of classical performance by combining music with immersive multisensory experiences.
Through the Carne Junior Fellowship, I have had the privilege of working with talented musicians, creative lighting designers, and researchers to explore how music, nature, and synaesthesia can be combined to engage the audience in a way that transcends traditional concert experiences. My vision has always been to offer a new way of experiencing classical music, one that invites the audience to engage not only with the emotional depth of the music but also with its visual and sensory dimensions. The feedback from both the audience and the musicians has been overwhelmingly positive. The use of colours, especially in the last two showcases, which focused on the connection with nature, helped elicit a more empathic response from the audience. Musicians also found the immersive environment to be deeply inspiring, allowing them to connect more profoundly with the music and their performance. This project has proven to be effective in engaging both listeners and performers, fostering a richer, more emotional experience for all involved.
Community Music and Well-being
In addition to my work as a soloist, I am deeply committed to using music as a tool for community integration and well-being. My involvement in community music initiatives has enriched my understanding of music’s transformative power. In 2020 and 2023, I represented Italy at the European Festival of Soloists, organized by the Delegation of the European Union, EU Member State embassies in Venezuela, and El Sistema. This experience deepened my appreciation for music’s role in enhancing individual well-being and fostering a sense of community.
At the Royal College of Music, my studies, including a literary review on Sistema Scotland and its impact on community music, inspired me to actively engage with music therapy and community sessions. Notably, I contributed to HMDT Music Treehouse in London, supporting children with special educational needs (SEN), particularly those on the autism spectrum.
Through these experiences, I have witnessed first-hand how music fosters inclusion, promotes emotional healing, and brings people together. By continuing to explore these themes, I aim to create a lasting, positive impact through music, building connections that transcend boundaries and enhance community well-being
Festival Europeo 2020 & 2023