Eva Thelisson (M03): “We're organizing an AI & classical concert series for world peace”

Eva Thelisson (M03) is launching The Symphony of Deep Layers, a charitable concert series due in Japan from 12 to 27 April 2025 to commemorate the 80^th anniversary of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and promote world peace. She tells us more about her project – and how you can support her.

ESSEC Alumni: How did the idea for The Symphony of Deep Layers come about? 

Eva Thelisson: Following my studies, I worked in the field of international nuclear law in London. I liaised with the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria, which aims at promoting a safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technologies. Later, I was also trained at the International School of Nuclear Law established by the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) and passed a Diploma on International Nuclear Law. I was deeply impressed by the knowledge and responsible attitude of nuclear physicists. At that time, I used to travel frequently to Japan and visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. It was a shock: the 1945 bombings killed 100,000 people instantly, burned to death in the first few seconds, then 200,000 as a result of the explosion. Fast forward to now: we are about to commemorate the 80^th anniversary of the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Symphony of Deep Layers is a way both to take part in the remembrance and to promote world peace so that such a tragedy does not happen ever again.  

EA : How will The Symphony of Deep Layers contribute to the mobilisation for world peace? 

E. Thelisson: In the current geopolitical context, we want to create an event that reminds us that peace is possible and desirable, within each of us, between us, and between states. Organizing international, and not only Japanese, concerts is a powerful lever for strengthening the link between the places of the nuclear tragedy and the whole of humanity, and increasing the sensitivity and willingness to act of anyone directly or indirectly involved. And specifically, organizing these concerts with Switzerland, home of the Red Cross and the four Geneva Conventions, host to international organizations and peace conferences, neutral facilitator for mediations and negotiations, sends out a strong message. Switzerland has over a century and a half's experience in promoting human rights and preventing armed conflict. Incidentally, The Symphony of Deep Layers is also an opportunity to remind of an eminent Swiss figure, Marcel Junod, forgotten in his homeland but revered in Japan: he was the first Western physician to travel to Japan after the 1945 bombings, as a delegate of the International Committe of the Red Cross, and he is considered to have saved between 20,000 and 30,000 people in Hiroshima. A monument has been erected in his honour in the Hiroshima Peace Garden. Celebrating his memory reinforces our message by linking it to a role model with whom we readily identify. This is why we have the support of the Swiss Embassy, Swissnex, and Yann Arthus-Bertrand (Earth from Above pictures).

EA: This project is also the story of an encounter between art and science… 

E. Thelisson : Indeed, the concert will include AI-assisted music generation. Inspired by the Illiac Suite, the first piece composed by computer in 1957, we will create 4 pieces of music for orchestra. Each will use AI in a different way to integrate elements symbolizing peace into the music. 

EA: Why make this connection with AI?

E. Thelisson: On a personal level, AI is now my main field of expertise, as I founded the AI Transparency Institute, an interdisciplinary research centre and non-profit organisation, dedicated to AI Governance, Human Trust in AI and Corporate Digital Responsibility. On a broader scale, we want to pay tribute to the universal and timeless nature of music by celebrating the close relationship between music and applied mathematics. Music, like mathematics, escapes the passage of time. Sadly, the same is true of human suffering. The Symphony of Deep Layers thus refers not only to the algorithmic method of deep learning, but also to the many facets of human emotions in the context of war and peace. 

EA: In concrete terms, what can AI bring to the art of musical composition? 

E. Thelisson: Music and computers actually have a shared history. In 1843, the first programmer Ada Lovelace predicted that computers could compose music. With advances in technology, AI has been able to assist humans in many music-related problems such as generation, analysis and recommendation. 

EA: The Symphony of Deep Layers will also contribute to promote the Swiss classical musice scene with a piece by composer Joséphine Maillefer, commissioned for the occasion… 

E. Thelisson: As a matter of fact, Switzerland occupies an important place in the world of classical music, thanks in particular to international performances by opera houses in Geneva, Lausanne, Zurich and Basel. The presence of world-class music academies such as the HEMU (Lausanne, Sion, Fribourg), the HEM de Genève-Neuchâtel and the ZHdK (Zürich) also attracts many musicians seeking quality education, whether from Switzerland or abroad. Switzerland is home to major international classical music festivals, such as the Verbier Festival, the Gstaad Menuhin Festival, the Lucerne Festival, Septembre musical and others. The infrastructure put in place to host such festivals and artists is not to be outdone, since some of the best concert halls are to be found in Switzerland. These include Lucerne's KKL, Zurich's Tonhalle and Geneva's Victoria Hall. Hence many foreign artists settle in Switzerland: Martha Argerich, Barbara Hendricks, Cecilia Bartoli, Renaud Capuçon, Leonardo García Alarcón, Nelson Goerner, Paavo Järvi, Sol Gabetta, Emmanuel Pahud, and many others. 

EA: What team are you working with on this project?

E. Thelisson: This project is led by an interdisciplinary team in Europe and Japan. I would particularly like to thank Béa Droz, Hannes Bleuler, Renaud Bouvier, Florian Colombo, and Himanshu Verma for their support in our communication.

EA: How may ESSEC graduates and students support your project?

E. Thelisson: You may participate through volunteering work (e.g. marketing, consulting, fund raising activities, CO2 emissions, etc), through patronage or financial donations (individual or corporate sponsorship), and through the promotion of the concerts on social media. Many thanks in advance!

Find out more: 
thesymphonyofdeeplayers.com

Interview by Louis Armengaud Wurmser (E10), Content Manager at ESSEC Alumni

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