“Beneath the Waves, Beyond the Stars” is a multimedia concert that explores the evolving boundaries of live performance, technology, and acoustic music. This concert marks Renée's capstone presentation at Stanford, and also her debut in integrating live harp performance with generative visuals, electronic soundscapes, and interactive technologies.
Concept & Story
The concert follows a narrative arc rooted in childhood memory and a deep connection to the natural world — from the mystery of the ocean to the wonder of the cosmos. Each piece is part of an unfolding journey, told through music, real-time visuals, and immersive sound design.
Soundtrack, Whale Sounds & Visual Atmosphere
A central element of this concert is the interplay between soundtrack and live harp, the fusion of whale sounds with electronic music, and the integration of generative visuals to create an ambient world that blurs the boundaries between nature and technology. The program’s multi-sensory design, combined with the presence of traditional acoustic instruments, transforms the performance into an immersive experience — one where sound and visuals evolve in dialogue, shaping the space in real time.
Technology & Interactivity
Renée and her team developed a generative visual system using Stanford’s ChucK and ChuGL programming languages, where real-time music controls dynamic projections on screen. The concert also features a custom-built interactive water instrument, allowing performers to trigger pre-coded sounds through touch — blending the organic with the digital.
Audience Collaboration
One special highlight of the concert is “Celestial Spark”, an improvisational moment where Renée invite the audience to take part in the creation of the music. As Renée improvise live on the harp, audience members trigger glowing “sparks” in real time — visual elements that respond and dance across the screen alongside the music. This piece blurs the line between performer and observer, transforming the space into a shared creative universe.
The Ensemble
The ensemble performance includes an instrumentation of harp, violin, cello, and marimba, interacting with real time audio-reactive visualizer using Stanford’s ChuGL programming languages. All musicians in the ensemble during the world premiere of this composition at Stanford are past competition winners who have performed as concerto soloists at Bing Concert Hall.
Artistic Vision
This concert is not just about music — it’s about storytelling across media. It is a personal exploration of how classical performance can evolve to embrace visual narrative, algorithmic art, and audience interaction, while still holding space for human emotion and environmental reflection.
🌀 From the deep sea to the stars above, we listen, we remember, and we imagine.
Concept & Story
The concert follows a narrative arc rooted in childhood memory and a deep connection to the natural world — from the mystery of the ocean to the wonder of the cosmos. Each piece is part of an unfolding journey, told through music, real-time visuals, and immersive sound design.
Soundtrack, Whale Sounds & Visual Atmosphere
A central element of this concert is the interplay between soundtrack and live harp, the fusion of whale sounds with electronic music, and the integration of generative visuals to create an ambient world that blurs the boundaries between nature and technology. The program’s multi-sensory design, combined with the presence of traditional acoustic instruments, transforms the performance into an immersive experience — one where sound and visuals evolve in dialogue, shaping the space in real time.
Technology & Interactivity
Renée and her team developed a generative visual system using Stanford’s ChucK and ChuGL programming languages, where real-time music controls dynamic projections on screen. The concert also features a custom-built interactive water instrument, allowing performers to trigger pre-coded sounds through touch — blending the organic with the digital.
Audience Collaboration
One special highlight of the concert is “Celestial Spark”, an improvisational moment where Renée invite the audience to take part in the creation of the music. As Renée improvise live on the harp, audience members trigger glowing “sparks” in real time — visual elements that respond and dance across the screen alongside the music. This piece blurs the line between performer and observer, transforming the space into a shared creative universe.
The Ensemble
The ensemble performance includes an instrumentation of harp, violin, cello, and marimba, interacting with real time audio-reactive visualizer using Stanford’s ChuGL programming languages. All musicians in the ensemble during the world premiere of this composition at Stanford are past competition winners who have performed as concerto soloists at Bing Concert Hall.
Artistic Vision
This concert is not just about music — it’s about storytelling across media. It is a personal exploration of how classical performance can evolve to embrace visual narrative, algorithmic art, and audience interaction, while still holding space for human emotion and environmental reflection.
🌀 From the deep sea to the stars above, we listen, we remember, and we imagine.