"Wild Sounds of Wales" is a new project that combines orchestral music, nature sounds, and virtual reality technology. Developed by Welsh composer Owain Llwyd, the project aims to create an immersive experience of Welsh landscapes through music, sound and technology.

The idea for the project emerged during 2021 when Owain was composing "Y Gogarth," a 15-minute orchestral piece for WNO Orchestra celebrating the Great Orme in Llandudno. Around this time, Owain began exploring virtual reality development as a creative. He realised that VR could be used to transport audiences into the natural environments that inspire his music.

In 2022, Owain attended the Wildscreen festival in Bristol, where he made two important connections. He met Jacinth Latta, a producer/director who had worked on David Attenborough's Glastonbury Festival appearance in 2019. Jacinth's experience with using nature sounds in large-scale events aligned well with Owain's ideas. At the same festival, Owain also met Axel Drioli, a sound recordist planning his 'Sounding Wild' expedition to record bird migrations from Northern Europe to Western Africa.

These encounters, along with initial discussions with Welsh National Opera, led to the conception of "Wild Sounds of Wales”. The project aims to create an experience that goes beyond traditional concert halls, using VR to bring Welsh landscapes, natural sounds and orchestral music to audiences in a new way.

"Wild Sounds of Wales" is now a collaborative effort involving both new partnerships and long-standing collaborations from Owain's previous projects. The goal is to create a coalition of organisations with a shared vision for combining music, nature, sound and technology in innovative ways.

The pilot project serves as a stepping stone for a larger 15-minute VR experience, which will showcase five natural habitats across Wales. Our goal is to inspire hope in the face of climate anxiety by connecting people with the wonders of the natural world, right here in Wales.

We're committed to making this experience as accessible as possible, reaching out to underserved communities and those who may not have easy access to traditional arts venues or natural spaces.

The mini-tour for the pilot will visit a care home, community spaces, festivals and clinical settings.

This project is made possible through the partnership of numerous national organisations, including:

WNO, Cadw, National Landscapes, National Trust, Sounding Wild, Rescape Innovation, Disability Arts Cymru, Wales Millennium Centre, AM, Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri, Wildlife Trust South and West Wales, Bryn Seiont Newydd Care Home, Urdd Gobaith Cymru, Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, Eisteddfod Genedlaethol, Bangor University, and Ty Cerdd.

We gratefully acknowledge support from Arts Council of Wales, PRS Foundation, Arts & Business Cymru Culture Step, Cadw, National Landscapes Association and National Trust.

Join us on this extraordinary journey through the Wild Sounds of Wales, on the AM platform.