“A beautiful, immersive experience”

Sonic Illuminations is a project by the violinist Hannah Perowne and live visual artist Marian Saunders creating immersive, unique and site specific performances which captivate and inspire audiences.

The initial idea for this unique project was sparked during Covid when Hannah spent hours and hours working on the Sonatas and Partitas of Bach in order to preserve her sanity. She wanted to find someone with whom she could share her love of this music and who might be able to visually represent the complexities and emotional depths of Bach’s compositions. When a friend suggested she approach Marian, she had no idea what a live visual artist even did. Marian has no background in classical music so it was truly a step into the unknown. However, she quickly found what she describes as a deep, profound joy in the music and describes it as incredibly visually rich and stimulating. Through interaction with Marian’s visuals Hannah found a freedom of expression that had previously eluded her.

They quickly discovered so many similarities with what they both do; every musical performance is in some way improvisatory and Marian's visuals are also improvised, for Hannah the musical notation provides a blueprint, for Marian it is her imagery. Most importantly, both visual art and music should elicit a visceral, emotional response from both the viewer/listener and the artists themselves. Marian finds she is much more expressive in her visual improvisation and Hannah finds herself transported away from the notes on the page with more freedom to express the music how she feels it in that moment. It frees her from the constraints of a classical training and enables her to respond more freely to the visuals.

The audience enjoys a fully immersive experience which transcends the traditional understanding of a “classical” concert, hence making the music accessible to a more diverse audience. Each performance evokes an entirely different response. Hannah and Marian interpret the music and imagery entirely at the moment of performance in an ever changing audio visual dialogue with both the artists and the audience evolving in harmony.

As the project has developed, Hannah and Marian have begun experimenting with new material, both visual and musical. Each performance can be adapted to fit each performance space perfectly: Upcoming performances include churches, museums, barns and even a nature reserve, with each venue providing inspiration and material that can be woven into the event, creating a truly bespoke and unique experience.

Click here to find out more about Marian