A new VR project allows you to immerse yourself in Golijov’s influential work — with and without VR headsets.
Tennessee’s Gateway Chamber Orchestra has partnered with design studio Agile Lens to launch an innovative VR experience. The orchestra announced that “La Pasión XR” is now available on Steam and the Epic Games Store, offering a digital reimagining of Osvaldo Golijov’s concert performance “La Pasión según San Marcos.”
This Google-funded project lets you freely explore a virtual soundscape, viewing the musicians from angles that would be impossible during a traditional concert. The experience includes two complete performances of the work, plus a highlight reel of special moments. Users can navigate either through teleportation or fluid movement.
One of the experience’s unique features is its use of floating spheres as transition points between different scenes and performance perspectives. For those without VR hardware, the team plans to release a 360-degree YouTube version, providing an alternative way to appreciate the piece’s rare instrumentation and choreography.
“La Pasión XR” is priced at just under $5, with a promotional discount available during the first two weeks after launch.
Where Sacred Music Meets Cultural Fusion
While other VR music projects take different approaches — like Meta Quest’s Maestro letting users conduct virtually, or Symphoni blending classical music with mixed reality effects — “La Pasión XR” charts its own course. Instead of gamifying the experience, it focuses on letting listeners immerse themselves in an existing performance from unique vantage points. The app uses VR not as a gameplay mechanic, but as a medium to present an established artistic work in a fresh light.
The launch of La Pasión XR coincides with the orchestra’s new album “Live at 25” dropping on Summit Records. Golijov’s piece, which debuted in 2000, was composed to commemorate the 250th anniversary of Bach’s death. His interpretation of the Passion narrative weaves Latin American musical elements with traditional components.
The composition blends Cuban rhythms with dance forms like capoeira and flamenco, incorporating texts in multiple languages. For the VR version, the developers employed cutting-edge techniques: they digitally reconstructed the concert hall, captured the musicians using volumetric video, and transformed the entire performance into an interactive sonic environment. Visual effects respond to the music as viewers float between orchestra members or pause to watch the dancers.
What do you think of the mix of classical music and virtual reality?Â
