Balandino Di Donato

Balandino Di Donato is a lecturer and researcher whose work spans interactive audio, embodied music interaction, immersive sound, and environmental sound studies. At Edinburgh Napier University, he leads research on sound studies and soundscape perception in mountaineering environments, with a focus on how environmental sound shapes human experience, safety, navigation, and ecological awareness—particularly within the Scottish mountain ranges. His scholarly contributions include research on British Sign Language in music interpretation, personalised real‑time audio calibration, mountain soundscapes, and sound design for human–robot interaction. He has led and collaborated on several funded projects, such as Heliaural, a system enabling real‑time personalised listening; a sound‑design pipeline for cross‑platform 360° virtual productions; the Audio Mostly 2023 conference, which he chaired and now supports as a steering committee member; and an exploratory study on BSL in Embodied Music Interaction. Balandino holds a PhD in Designing Embodied Human–Computer Interactions in Music Performance from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, where he contributed to the Integra Live system. His career also includes research at Goldsmiths on the ERC‑funded BioMusic project, a lectureship in Creative Computing at the University of Leicester, international award‑winning sound art installations, and extensive experience as a freelance sound engineer and audio technician.

ARTWORK

Listening to the Highlands: A Journey Through Scottish Mountain Soundscapes (VR)
Listening to the Highlands is a 360° VR sound art installation developed as part of the research project Scottish Mountain Soundscapes (SMS), which investigates how auditory perception shapes our connection to the natural world. Through spatial audio and immersive VR environments, the installation transports visitors into the remote acoustic ecologies of Scotland’s mountain regions, offering an intimate encounter with wind, wildlife, geological resonance, and the delicate sonic layers that define these landscapes.

The project aims to raise awareness of the vital role natural soundscapes play in our wellbeing and cultural relationship to place. By mapping, capturing, and foregrounding these fragile acoustic environments, the Scottish Mountain Soundscapes project highlights the importance of preserving the natural auditory heritage that is increasingly threatened by human activity and noise pollution.

Within the installation, Listening to the Highlands creates a breathing space away from the intensities of urban life inviting visitors to slow down, listen deeply, and rediscover the restorative presence of the Highlands and other mountainous regions. By prioritising sound over visual dominance, the work encourages a renewed sensitivity to listening as a pathway to environmental awareness, fostering a sense of connection, care, and responsibility toward Scotland’s wild places.

WEBSITE
Balandino Di Donato