Pesaro opens Sonosfera, a unique immersive acoustic theater

Pesaro, known as the 'City of the Bicycle' and a UNESCO 'Creative City for Music,' opened the Sonosfera® in early 2020, a one-of-a-kind immersive space designed for deep listening to ecosystems and music. The theater, located inside Palazzo Mosca (home of the Civic Museums and part of the Museo Nazionale Rossini), was conceived by David Monacchi, a professor at the Conservatorio Rossini, who patented the invention internationally in 2014. The Sonosfera® is a geoid-shaped amphitheater with a double cavea, acoustically perfect and sound-absorbing, featuring 45 speakers and a 360-degree high-definition projection crown. Its realization involved a team of about 20 professionals including engineers, designers, and construction companies. Central to the project is the ecological theme, particularly the Fragments of Extinction project (2014), which recreates soundscapes of primary equatorial forests from global expeditions. The space also plans to feature music by Gioachino Rossini, celebrated in 2018 for the 150th anniversary of his death, and other programs. Organizers note its potential for scientific dissemination, ecological education, and therapeutic applications for autism and sensory disorders. The Sonosfera® is intended to travel to European and international cities, fostering collaborations between Pesaro UNESCO Creative City of Music and other cultural institutions.