LAM - Institut d'Alembert

09/04/2026

As we approach the anniversary of the 2019 fire at Cathedral, we invite you to rediscover its musical past.

Discover "Vaulted Harmonies", an immersive documentary concert exploring the acoustic and musical history of Notre-Dame de Paris.

This work is part of the French Past Has Ears at Notre-Dame and European Past Has Ears research projects. The film traces eight centuries of the cathedral’s evolution through sound, bringing together eleven emblematic musical works from the 12th to the 20th centuries, each recorded and re-rendered within scientifically reconstructed acoustics corresponding to its historical period.

Blending performance and research, Vaulted Harmonies offers a rare opportunity to hear Notre-Dame as it may once have sounded across the centuries.

Explore the project: http://vaultedharmonies.pasthasears.eu/ and watch the film in 3D binaural audio (for headphones), available for streaming.

Listen to history. Hear architecture.

, the French National Research Agency
Sorbonne Université
CNRS News
Conservatoire de Paris Cnsmdp
IReMus - Institut de recherche en musicologie
Centre André Chastel
Sunmetron Architectes
Projet Bretez
Dada Animation

Restaurons Notre-Dame de Paris

09/04/2026

As we approach the anniversary of the 2019 fire at Cathedral, we invite you to rediscover its acoustic past.

Experience "Notre-Dame Whispers", an immersive audio guide where Notre-Dame speaks in her own voice, bringing the cathedral’s sonic history to life. Developed on the ekko platform by Talkartive, this work is part of the French Past Has Ears at Notre-Dame and European Past Has Ears research projects.

Through a geolocated journey of six listening stations around the cathedral, the experience unfolds a series of narrated “memories” spanning centuries, using binaural sound and scientifically reconstructed acoustics. It can be experienced on-site around the cathedral via GPS, or off-site at your own pace.

Available in English, French, and Spanish, the experience is free via the Ekko of Notre-Dame de Paris app on iOS and Android. Headphone use is recommended.

Explore the project: http://ndwhispers.pasthasears.eu/

Listen. Imagine. Reconnect with Notre-Dame through sound.

Sorbonne Université
CNRS News
IReMus - Institut de recherche en musicologie
Centre André Chastel
Conservatoire de Paris Cnsmdp
Projet Bretez
Sunmetron Architectes
Collegium Musicæ - Sorbonne Université
Patrimoines matériels
Restaurons Notre-Dame de Paris

02/04/2026

We are happy to announce the publication of our research article in the of the Audio Engineering Society on perception of speech directivity naturalness in virtual reality environments.
https://aes.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=23137
David Poirier-Quinot, Pablo Abehsera-Morell, Brian Fredrick Gray Katz
Work carried out in part with the project
Sorbonne Université

AES E-Library ← Back to search

21/03/2026

Candidature *avant le 3 avril* pour un Poste de Professeur des Universités en Acoustique à Sorbonne Université.

Le volet recherche du poste peut s’effectuer au sein de l’équipe Lutheries-Acoustique-Musique de l’Institut Jean Le Rond d’Alembert dans les thématiques de l’équipe Instrument de musique en situation, Nouvelles lutheries et voix ou Espaces sonores.

https://recrutement.sorbonne-universite.fr/_resources/EC/Recrutement%20EC%202026/Fac%20SI/SU_FSI_PR_261306.pdf?download=true

07/02/2026

Submissions for the 6th International AES Conference on Audio for Virtual and Augmented Reality and Immersive Games are Now Open!

Submit your Peer-Reviewed Papers (Category 1) and Express Papers (Category 2), as well as Workshop and Tutorial proposals here: https://aes.org/events-calendar/2026-6th-international-conference-on-audio-for-virtual-and-augmented-reality-and-immersive-games/

Event Sponsorship Opportunities Still Available.

26/08/2025

Nous sommes très heureux de participer aux Journées Européennes du Patrimoine cette année avec deux projections de notre concert virtuel : « ArchéoConcert / Vaulted Harmonies » (https://vaultedharmonies.pasthasears.dalembert.upmc.fr/).

Nous présenterons ce travail issu du projet ANR-PHEND (The Past Has Ears at Notre-Dame) le 20 septembre, à :

* Paris – à Sorbonne Université, sur le campus de Jussieu, dans la nouvelle salle d’exploration des données du SCAI (SCAI Sorbonne Cluster for Artificial Intelligence), équipée d’un double projecteur pour une grande image HD et de casques audio pour un rendu 3D binaural.
[En savoir plus](https://openagenda.com/en/jep-2025-ile-de-france/events/larcheoconcert-le-passe-a-des-oreilles-a-notre-dame)

* Limonest – dans la salle Agora, pôle culturel de Limonest, équipée d’une projection cinéma et d’un système audio 7.1.
[En savoir plus](https://journeesdupatrimoine.culture.gouv.fr/w/377623/evenement/18524749/archeo-concert-concert-virtuel #/events/18524749)

Chaque séance de projection sera accompagnée d’une courte présentation du projet et d’une session de questions/réponses avec des chercheurs impliqués.




Dada Animation
Projet Bretez -
Sorbonne Université
CNRS

Restaurons Notre-Dame de Paris

16/08/2025

A throwback to an article about our work on Notre-Dame in The New York Times Magazine. This interactive piece brought together our research and 3D simulations with the technical integration and quality journalism of the New York Times.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/03/03/magazine/notre-dame-cathedral-acoustics-sound.html

This article has gone on to win several notable awards:

45th Society of News Design Awards (2024):
-GOLD for Information Graphics : "... Pieces that received gold show technical and aesthetic expertise across different types of graphics, from 3D to scrollytelling to maps, with very original ways of showing the data...
-SILVER for audio : "The judges found this story very moving, noting how everything comes together seamlessly, particularly focusing on the audio experience. They appreciated the use of 3D renderings in black and white, which enhanced the focus on acoustics and architectural effects, and highlighted how the planning and art direction prioritized the audio."
-BRONZE in the features category : "This entry is an incredible way for readers to experience Notre Dame without traveling there. Judges loved the experience of being able to see the space and experience it through audio. It is also an example of restraint in design – the white spaces and the design of the characters help to tell the ethereal, spiritual story."

Online Journalism Award (2023): (Finalist) Excellence in Immersive and Emerging Technology Storytelling category
"...We worked with [the] research team and used the acoustic model to give our readers a first person visual and spatial audio experience of what different spots inside the cathedral sound like. The piece takes the reader through different parts of the cathedral and lets them hear spatially-accurate ambisonic audio that is accurately rendered based on the direction the virtual camera is pointed at as they scroll. We wanted to interactively convey the fact that the sound they hear is not in isolation but entangled with the space itself..."

Society of Professional Journalists’ award (2023 Sigma Delta Chi Award: Art, Graphics and Multimedia : Immersion Journalism)

Worth revising, or if you missed the first time around.

Thanks to Madeleine Schwartz and Karthik Patanjali



The New York Times
Sorbonne Université
CNRS

In Paris, experts are modeling ways to revive the burned cathedral’s centuries-old acoustics. A Times interactive shows how space can affect what we hear.

04/08/2025

We are happy to announce a new publication coming out of the and projects looking at the impact of music rehearsal in a virtual spaces prior to performing in the actual space. A preliminary study involving different types of musicians and expert levels.

https://www.mdpi.com/3432120
Article available in OpenAccess

Sorbonne Université, CNRS
Charlotte Fernandez
MartinLawless, The Cooper Union
David Poirier-Quinot
Brian Fredrick Gray Katz

Due to the effect of room acoustics on musical interpretation, a musician’s rehearsal may be greatly enhanced by leveraging virtual and augmented reality technology. This paper presents a preliminary study on a rehearsal tool designed for musicians, enabling practice in a virtual acoustic environm...