A production note from Oulu and Iisalmi — designing a cathedral-scale spatial-audio system for the European Capital of Culture 2026.
Oulu is gearing up to take centre stage as the European Capital of Culture 2026, and I’ve found myself at the heart of a project that brings together cutting-edge technology and one of Finland’s most iconic landmarks. The task? Designing a spatial audio system for Oulu Cathedral — with a little help from the brilliant minds at Genelec and a few key collaborators closer to home.
A pilgrimage to Iisalmi
Genelec’s headquarters in Iisalmi is a shrine to acoustics, innovation and sustainable design. The team there approaches sound the way Finland approaches winter: methodically, expertly, and with a touch of understated brilliance. Over the course of my visit I met engineers and designers who seemed to channel their surroundings into their work — a balance of technical precision and natural harmony.
The discussions were as intense as you’d expect when you’re planning to fill a 240-year-old cathedral with immersive soundscapes. From speaker-placement strategies to the logistics of real-time audio processing, the Genelec team brought ideas to the table that made me rethink what a space like Oulu Cathedral can become.
The cathedral’s allies
None of this happens in a vacuum. Henri, the Executive Producer for Oulu 2026, has been an invaluable partner — a mix of pragmatism and vision. Then there’s Dean Satu of Oulu Cathedral, whose wry humour and deep sense of the building’s place in the community have kept the project grounded. Together we’re aiming for something technically ambitious that still feels entirely natural in this historic space.
The Logos: a sonic backbone
At the core of this project is The Logos, an installation built around more than 4,000 sonifications of Fast Radio Bursts, developed in collaboration with Professor Kiyoshi Masui at MIT. These celestial signals, transformed into intricate soundscapes, form the backbone of the work. Complementing them, I’m writing original compositions — including Come Fast From The Dark, a piece developed with Timothy Morton — to weave an immersive narrative that bridges the cosmic and the human.
Building the sound
Genelec’s approach to sound is refreshingly no-nonsense, but it’s never dull. One standout moment was a deep dive into their Smart Active Monitors, which offer acoustic precision alongside the environmental sustainability Genelec takes so seriously. Pair that with the cathedral’s already remarkable acoustics and you have the potential for an experience that leaves no eardrum unimpressed.
The system we’re planning will blend immersive, directional audio with the flexibility to accommodate everything from live performance to quiet reflection. It’s a little like engineering a musical chameleon — a soundscape that shifts seamlessly with the needs of the space and its audience.
Looking ahead
The clock is ticking, but in the best way. Between sound trials in Iisalmi and strategy sessions in Oulu, we’re steadily piecing together a project that will be equal parts technological feat and cultural statement. There’s something uniquely Finnish about all of it: quietly ambitious, deeply connected to the environment, and always leaving room for a little magic.
More updates to come as we fine-tune the details — but for now, let’s just say that the future of Oulu Cathedral sounds rather spectacular.
Andrew Melchior, March 2025.