See INSIDE a pianist’s brain live for first time – with this groundbreaking new technology

19 June 2025, 10:28

It’s always exciting to see a pianist’s fingers when they play, but have you ever wanted to see inside their brain?

For the first time ever, the minds of musicians will be put on display in a truly innovative way. Using state-of-the-art neural imaging techniques developed by University of California and the Brain Dynamics Lab at the University of Calgary, and the Glass Brain visualisation tool, researchers are able to track and project a pianist’s brain activity in real time as they perform.

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This pioneering approach opens up exciting new avenues for understanding musical performance, cognition, and emotional response. The technology will make its debut at the Verbier Festival in the form of the world’s first ‘Neurorecital’: a performance that pairs live piano music with synchronised projections of the pianist’s brain activity.

The brain data, which will be displayed for the audience to see, comes from pianist Nicolas Namoradze, who will perform pieces by Bach, Debussy, and Scriabin.

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New technology allows audiences to see inside the brain of a pianist as they play

Namoradze, who will also introduce each piece, says, “This project invites listeners to engage with music in a fundamentally new way. We’ve been able to collect brain data in an entirely novel fashion, which represents a breakthrough in research. It’s opened the door to consistent, analysable brain data from live music-making for the very first time.”

The program includes works from Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, Debussy’s Préludes, and Scriabin’s Piano Sonatas. As Namoradze plays, the Glass Brain will project real-time images of his brain activity, offering the audience an unprecedented look into the mind of the performer.“

This collaboration hopes to uncover new insights into interpretation, cognition, and emotional response while reimagining the concert experience,” Namoradze continues. “It’s a thought-provoking and immersive journey into the very heart of musical performance.”

The Neurorecital is not both a performance and a fascinating glimpse into the neurological processes behind musicianship.