A mysterious vertical piano player surprised viewers during the 2024 Paris Olympics closing ceremonies. The piano player emerged from the ground amidst the fog and ascended into the air as he played a sorrowful, contemplative piece called “The Hymn to Apollo,” impressively performed at a standing angle. Unfortunately, the commentators for the NBC broadcast did not identify who this person is correctly, so there may be confusion as to who this flying performer is. Here’s more info on who this vertical piano player is at the 2024 Olympic Games.
Who is the flying piano player at the Olympic closing ceremonies?
The flying, vertical piano player at the 2024 Olympic closing ceremonies is named Alain Roche, a Swiss pianist, composer, and performer who combines solo piano compositions with his expertise in creating music for dance and theatre.
Not to be confused with the French soccer player of the same name, Alain Roche has been performing what he calls “Piano Vertical” for several years. According to the profile on his website, for the 2023-2024 season he has performed suspended from his vertical piano for 182 consecutive mornings to celebrate “the blue hour,” to invite people to look up at the sky and contemplate its beauty. This performance stems from the artist’s fascination with transformations in nature.
The NBC broadcast accidentally identified the piano player as Benjamin Bernheim, who is actually the French tenor opera singer who sang the “The Hymn to Apollo” alongside Alain Roche.
This performance during the closing ceremonies is meant to invoke a rediscovery of the Olympic Games. Many will know Apollo, the god in Greek mythology, but he is also known as one of the Twelve Olympians. It’s possible that the piece is an operatic rendition that refers to the original “Hymn to Apollo” attributed to the ancient Greek poet Homer, who also wrote the “Iliad” and “Odyssey.”