Italian Pianist Ludovico Einaudi Plays a Grand Piano While Floating in the Middle of the Arctic Ocean

Above, watch Italian pianist and composer Ludovico Einaudi perform an original composition, “Elegy for the Arctic,” on a grand piano, floating right in the middle of the Arctic Ocean. In one of his most challenging performances, Einaudi played “Elegy for the Arctic” for the very first time–a piece dedicated to the preservation of the Arctic. The home of endangered wildlife, the region also helps regulate our fragile climate. And our future depends partly on whether we keep it intact.

To pull off this production, a Greenpeace ship transported Einaudi and his grand piano to the seas north of Norway, and put them on a large platform. Says Greenpeace:

The massive early retreat of sea ice due to the effects of climate change allowed the construction of a 2.6 x 10 metre artificial iceberg, made from more than 300 triangles of wood attached together and weighing a total of nearly two tonnes. A grand piano was then placed on top of the platform.

You can see Einaudi performing right in front of a large glacier, while ice sheets fall aways as he plays. It’s a sight to behold.

If you would like to help protect the Arctic, you can donate to Greenpeace here.

If you would like to sign up for Open Culture’s free email newsletter, please find it here.

If you would like to support the mission of Open Culture, consider making a donation to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your contributions will help us continue providing the best free cultural and educational materials to learners everywhere. You can contribute through PayPal, Patreon, and Venmo (@openculture). Thanks!

Related Content:

Global Warming: A Free Course from UChicago Explains Climate Change

A Beautiful Drone’s Eye View of Antarctica

The Arctic Light

The Making of a Steinway Grand Piano, From Start to Finish


by | Permalink | Comments (7) |

Support Open Culture

We’re hoping to rely on our loyal readers rather than erratic ads. To support Open Culture’s educational mission, please consider making a donation. We accept PayPal, Venmo (@openculture), Patreon and Crypto! Please find all options here. We thank you!


Comments (7)
You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Leave a Reply

Quantcast
Open Culture was founded by Dan Colman.