Hallé St Peter’s in Manchester has become the first venue in the UK to create a digital twin of itself, allowing conductors, composers and creative teams to test how music will sound inside the space before a performance takes place.
Developed under a long-standing partnership between the Hallé and German technology company Siemens, the project builds a detailed virtual model of the venue using building data, architectural plans and a dry recording of a musical piece. The model recreates the venue’s acoustic environment, enabling the Hallé to test how different orchestral arrangements, seating configurations and hypothetical changes to the space could affect the sound experienced by performers and audiences. The technology applies the same approach Siemens uses across industry, where organisations can model products, buildings, factories and processes virtually before making changes in the real world. By enabling virtual testing before rehearsals begin, it also helps shorten rehearsal times and reduce concert logistics costs.
The mixed-reality application, known as Sound of Science, was launched by Siemens in 2024. It allows users wearing virtual reality headsets to explore how acoustics change as they move through the venue, adjust the orchestra position or revert to the original church acoustics. Hallé St Peter’s, which serves as the Hallé’s rehearsal and recording home, joins a group of leading European cultural venues already using the technology, including the Bayerisches Nationaltheater in Munich and the Großes Festspielhaus at the
Salzburg Festival.
Kath Russell, Director of Development at the Hallé Orchestra, said: “The idea of creating a digital twin for Hallé St Peter’s was so interesting to us. It was never about replacing the physical venue, it was about understanding it more deeply, preserving its acoustic character, and exploring new possibilities. This project sits at the intersection of heritage and innovation. It respects what the space is, while also allowing us to explore what it could be.”