Earth ∞ Pieces is a participatory musical project conceived by Yoshie Kris (SLOW LABEL) and sound artist Shuta Hasunuma, both of whom served as directors for the Opening Ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
The project, part of the Milano Cortina 2026 Cultural Olympiad programme, involves the creation of a unique, one-off version of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. Composed in a single day, it will be performed by an orchestra of people from all walks of life who have never met before, regardless of disability or musical experience, joining together to create and discover ‘their sound’.
On 15 March 2026, Slow label plans to organise its first international performance in Milan during the Milano Cortina Paralympic Winter Games, in collaboration with Komorebi ETS, AllegroModerato, and IAAM (the International Alliance for Accessible Music, co-founded by AllegroModerato alongside The Music Man Project).
The event will be a large-scale participatory concert at the Teatro dal Verme, featuring an “open stage” segment. Members of the public — after registering via a specific call for participants — can join musicians from the AllegroModerato orchestra and Slow label to perform Beethoven’s famous Ode to Joy theme together.
Earth ∞ Pieces Milano 2026 is an event that goes beyond a “simple” concert: it is a participatory performance open to everyone, where music, art, social commitment, and sport converge. Organising the event to coincide with the Closing Ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games establishes it as a truly innovative occasion, highlighting the sense of unity and fellowship of the Olympic spirit and the inclusive reach of the promoters’ artistic vision.
This will be the second stage (and the first international one) of the Earth ∞ Pieces project. Following its debut in Yokohama in 2024, the Milan event will act as a relay, similar to the Olympic torch journey. The project will then travel to Los Angeles 2028 and culminate in 2030 with a performance at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where people, nature, and technology will resonate in a new expression of global harmony.
The preparation phases will include various cooperation and inclusion activities, while at the end of the event, all participants and supporters will have the chance to meet and connect at the exclusive afterparty held at the Teatro Dal Verme.
To ensure maximum inclusion and sharing for participants arriving from all over the world, accommodation options are available with local families and Milanese facilities.
The performers
A large ensemble made up of musicians selected through an open call, driven by the desire to engage with their own authenticity and a shared passion for music. This is the world’s most “SLOW” version of the “Ode to Joy”, allowing the ensemble to evolve in an organic way.
Regardless of musical genre, professional or amateur status, or whether they have a disability or not, participants aged fourteen and over join together. They are individuals who wish to broaden their expression and horizons, or those who — due to circumstances such as illness, family caregiving, childcare, or work commitments — have missed the opportunity to play with others. These musicians will engage in a collective performance based on a “musical map” composed by Shuta Hasunuma and adapted for the Italian performance by conductor Samuel Tamarit Otero.
Furthermore, the project adopts an innovative approach that moves beyond traditional conventions: a “single-day” format with no preliminary rehearsals. In an era where artistic value often seeks “perfection”, this choice challenges our time to reflect on the importance and value of not leaving behind those who risk losing the opportunity to play together.
Our Social Commitment
The programme for this initiative is a social action that, through the very process of organising a concert, aims to raise awareness throughout society regarding accessibility (human rights) and sustainability (the environment).
Through a series of preparatory initiatives leading up to the performance, Earth ∞ Pieces aims to achieve a profound and lasting social impact by creating a network that excludes no one. Foremost among these is the creative production of BOW TIES: unique, numbered pieces that will join those already produced in Japan in 2024. The skills of local women will be brought into CDDs (Day Centres for the Disabled): using textile offcuts and reclaimed materials, expert hands combined with creativity and imagination will craft 350 unique pieces, each one different from the next. These will be worn by the musicians and sold for charity during the event.