French composer Olivier Messiaen was a synaesthete who experienced colours when he heard or imagined music. He devised his own system of modes (scales) based on his synaesthesia and in some scores he actually notated the colours, to help the performer in interpretation. Here is a unique video clip from one of his famous classes at the Paris Conservatoire. A […]

In order to keep good track of events around the world associated with the Messiaen Centenary celebrations, this is a very useful website with festival announcements, a calendar and recommended CDs: http://www.oliviermessiaen.org/messnews.html For example, the Messaien 2008 International Centenary Conference took place at the Birmingham Conservatoire, from 20-24 June 2008. http://www.conservatoire.bcu.ac.uk/messiaen