At the Philharmonie de Paris, in the Espace d’exposition of the Cité de la musique, Playing with Fire presents a novel approach to the classical music experience by blurring the lines between physical reality and digital imagination. Running until May 3, 2026, the installation merges pianist Yuja Wang’s performance with mixed and virtual reality elements, allowing visitors to move freely through the space and observe closely the gestures, focus and interplay between performer and repertoire. The structure of Playing with Fire alternates between mixed and virtual reality phases: while Wang’s presence is recreated through immersive technology, a Steinway Spirio piano precisely reproduces the acoustic performance, synchronized with evolving visual representations that respond to the music. The repertoire spans works personally selected by the artist, from Bach and Chopin to Debussy, Prokofiev and Stravinsky, forging a continuous dialogue between sound and image.The experience aims to bring audiences closer not only to the work of one of the world’s most acclaimed pianists but also to the creative process that underpins musical interpretation. The technologies employed make tangible what is often invisible in a traditional concert, giving shape to the emotional and mental dimensions of the artist’s performance. Playing with Fire thus fits within a lineage of projects that explore the relationship between art, technology and perception, offering a reflection on the narrative and sensory potential of live music.
