{"id":122983,"date":"2026-03-30T16:31:43","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T20:31:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=122983"},"modified":"2026-03-31T08:00:02","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T12:00:02","slug":"interview-symphony-sight-sound-mussorgskys-pictures-exhibition-reimagined","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2026\/03\/30\/interview-symphony-sight-sound-mussorgskys-pictures-exhibition-reimagined\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | A Symphony Of Sight And Sound: Mussorgsky\u2019s Pictures At An Exhibition Reimagined"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Performance
Performance with paintings by Paula Arciniega (Photo courtesy of Hannaford Street Silver Band)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Toronto visual artist Paula Arciniega<\/strong>, the Hannaford Street Silver Band<\/strong>, conductor James Sommerville<\/strong>, and pianist Jamie Parker<\/strong> come together for a unique event. On April 12, HSSB will perform Mussorgsky\u2019s iconic Pictures at an Exhibition while paintings by Arciniega, inspired by the music, are displayed above.<\/p>\n

The site-specific performance features 15 large-scale paintings, along with the music of the 30-piece brass band.<\/p>\n

Renowned Canadian hornist and conductor James Sommerville leads the ensemble. Pianist Jamie Parker will open the event with a performance of Gershwin\u2019s Rhapsody in Blue with a companion piece by Arciniega.<\/p>\n

HSSB\u2019s Executive Director Jen Stephen<\/strong> comments on the project in a statement. \u201cThis artistic collaboration expands what a classical performance can be, and reflects our shared commitment to pushing artistic boundaries,\u201d she notes. \u201cIt\u2019s about presenting something that honours the original work while inviting audiences into something innovative, immersive and deeply collaborative.\u201d<\/p>\n

LV caught up with unique musician and artist Paula Arciniega to talk about the project, and her work.<\/p>\n

\"Marketplace
Marketplace in Limoges, a painting by artist Paula Arciniega, inspired by Mussorgsy\u2019s Pictures at an Exhibition (Photo courtesy of Paula Arciniega)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Paula Arciniega: The Interview<\/h2>\n

Artist Paula Arciniega is based in Toronto, where she creates works based on the intersections of sound and imagery. She is a trained classical singer, having earned a Master\u2019s degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and is inspired as a painter by music. Paula also paints landscapes in a realistic mode that requires observation, as well as figurative work, and abstract series.<\/p>\n

Paula Arciniega\u2019s paintings are often inspired by music. Much of her body of work finds its roots in melodic lines and visual impressions. \u201cIt\u2019s often, just listening to music,\u201d she explains. \u201cMy first project was the Mahler Symphonies, and it\u2019s just my joy in listening to these beautiful pieces of music.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mussorgsky\u2019s Pictures at an Exhibition is, of course, a work that was originally inspired by an exhibition of paintings. Mussorgsky had toured an exhibition by a friend of his, architect and artist Viktor Hartmann, who had died a year before, and wrote the work in 1874 based on his experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just the potential of what I could do with it,\u201d Paula explains. \u201cThe inspiration hit my heart, and it was not a matter of how, but when.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Paintings
Paintings by Paula Arciniega inspired by Mussorgsy\u2019s Pictures at an Exhibition: Promenade II (L); Baba Yaga (R) (Photo courtesy of Paula Arciniega)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Paintings<\/h3>\n

The works she completed for the project draw on a range of styles and techniques. Many of Hartmann\u2019s works have been lost, leaving only the composer\u2019s impressions to go on today.<\/p>\n

\u201cI looked at it as a whole,\u201d she says of the collection of paintings. She approached each type \u2014 the promenades, the various movements \u2014 in different ways to support the idea of walking through the exhibition. The spheres, and works with a geometric design, correspond to the promenades.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are directly related to act of moving between the narrative pieces,\u201d she explains. \u201cThe promenades are visually and rhythmically the line that runs between all of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though most of Hartmann\u2019s original paintings have been lost, she points out that a few sketches remain, such as the clock he created to go along with the painting of Baba Yaga. Baba Yaga is an unusual figure found in Slavic folklore. She is most often depicted as an old witch who lives in a hut that\u2019s held up by giant chicken legs.<\/p>\n

Paula took what information there is available and constructed a narrative around it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was challenging because it doesn\u2019t offer a literal narrative,\u201d she says. \u201cI had to create a story that would showcase my artistic oeuvre, for lack of a better word.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some of the pieces are inspired by Russian folklore, but others find their roots in French, Italian, or Polish traditions. She looked for ways to balance her artistic vision within a visual world that honours both Mussorgsky and Hartmann.<\/p>\n

The promenades were a unique component. \u201cThat for me was really exciting and fun. I was thinking of the 12 tones of the scale, and the vast potential we have with those tones.\u201d She reflected on elements like the quantum universe and much more in creating the paintings.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really endless,\u201d she says. \u201cThat\u2019s how I landed on the sphere as being that really universal symbol for the viewer.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"The
The Tuileries, a painting by artist Paula Arciniega, inspired by Mussorgsy\u2019s Pictures at an Exhibition (Photo courtesy of Paula Arciniega)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Music And Colour<\/h3>\n

\u201cI geek out,\u201d she laughs. \u201cDifferent keys hold different vibrational frequencies. There\u2019s a different resonance.\u201d<\/p>\n

She correlated her impressions of the music with colours.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not confined by what I paint, because I\u2019m not a trained artist. I really do correlate it to what I experience listening to music.\u201d That includes the way she approaches colour, tones, and shapes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s how I experience music. It\u2019s almost impossible for me not to include the spectrum. It\u2019s a kaleidoscope.\u201d<\/p>\n

Against the geometric abstraction of the promenade pieces, the paintings that depict the various movements of the music are at times fairy tale-like in approach, at times more realistic, such as the Marketplace at Limoges.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was worried \u2014 I didn\u2019t want it to be too literal,\u201d Arciniega says. \u201cHow do I create within it a freeform without being confined too much with realism?\u201d she wondered.<\/p>\n

She aimed for a process that ensures a more spontaneous reaction. \u201cI visually see these before I create them, but very rarely do I sketch them. For me, it feels too fixed. I really have to allow for that grace of the flow when I\u2019m listening to the piece. It opens my imagination to more ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n

For The Tuileries, for example, she painted children playing, but then put them inside bubbles, and within a vivid colour scheme.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s an unexpectedness,\u201d she says. She mentions that she\u2019s drawn to abstract expressionism.<\/p>\n

\"The
The Old CastleThe Tuileries, a painting by artist Paula Arciniega, inspired by Mussorgsy\u2019s Pictures at an Exhibition (Photo courtesy of Paula Arciniega)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Project<\/h3>\n

As she explains, the paintings will be suspended from the ceiling above and to the edges of the orchestra as it plays. A lighting designer will add another level of drama and design to the performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is why this project has been so incredibly inspiring I think for all of us. It\u2019s a collaborative,\u201d she says. \u201cThe whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It requires the experience of all these talented participants.\u201d<\/p>\n

It goes towards a larger purpose: to inspire people, especially younger generations, by both the music and visual art.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo many people don\u2019t know these works \u2014 how can we bring audiences back to these incredibly beautiful pieces of music?\u201d<\/p>\n

Music can guide and heal its listener, she feels. \u201cMusic is able to do that. It reminds us that we are a collective.\u201d<\/p>\n

She\u2019s hoping the addition of paintings can draw people farther into the performance. \u201cThe visual gateway I feel is such an incredible way for people to enter.\u201d As she points out, younger audience members, in particular, are conditioned to live in a world that is saturated with visual stimuli.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do I engage a younger audience? We\u2019ve got to bring the younger generation to these wonderful pieces.\u201d<\/p>\n