About The Listening Body

A concert experience of classical piano works, where meditation, reflection, and deep listening set you on a journey that gradually opens you to a new way of experiencing music—and yourself.

The project was developed by pianist and listening guide Annabel Guaita together with philosopher and meditation teacher Piotr Marcinów. It was first presented at Hardanger Music Festival 2024 and later the same year at Bergen Kulturnatt. In 2025, the project was further presented at the Norwegian Yoga Festival in Nøsen, where it became one of the most distinctive and well-received contributions.

With support from the Dam Foundation, the project entered a collaboration with RITMO – Center for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion – to investigate how this concert format affects audiences. The results suggest that the experience not only creates a sense of calm, but also opens for a deeper and more integrated musical experience, where the connection between body, attention, and musical form becomes more apparent. Nearly half of the participants reported experiencing “goosebumps,” an indicator of strong emotional response.