Composer with sight loss creates stunning music inspired by famous paintings (2025)

The Sound of a Masterpiece is available on Apple Music, Amazon Music and Tidal, with all proceeds going to the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)

A talented composer, with impaired vision, has turned some of the world’s most famous paintings into music, helping more people connect with art in a new and exciting way. Bobby Goulder, who has a genetic eye condition called Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy that causes vision loss, worked with experts at Dolby Laboratories to create the latest album called Sound of a Masterpiece.

The new album includes 13 tracks inspired by masterpieces such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Monet’s Water-Lily Pond, and Munch’s The Scream. Each track uses unique sounds and instruments to reflect the emotions and themes of the artwork.

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Bobby said “The project combines several things close to my heart – the relationships across multidisciplinary art forms; the advancement of musical and sonic creative techniques; and the accessibility of the arts to the visually impaired community.

The project is part of a push to make art more inclusive and more accessible to everyone – including those who can’t see it. Bobby said that he hopes that this new album will allow everyone to experience the paintings, and connect with the images beyond audio descriptions.

Daniela Bischof from Dolby Laboratories, which helped create the album, said “We hope Sound of a Masterpiece will enable listeners to really feel and connect with iconic artworks, whilst making art accessible through sound – inspiring everyone to connect more deeply with creativity, emotion and history.”

For example:

• The Scream, by Edvard Munch, is captured with dark, heavy piano music and unsettling sounds that build to a chaotic climax, mirroring the anxiety in the painting.
• Monet’s Water-Lily Pond features soft, dream-like piano music, rippling water sounds, and shimmering effects to recreate the peaceful and glowing style of the artwork.
• The music for the Mona Lisa switches between mysterious and warm tones, with eerie plucked piano strings reflecting the intrigue of her expression and the Renaissance era.

The album is available on Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Tidal, with all proceeds going to the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). The project hopes to make art more engaging and approachable, especially for those who feel disconnected from traditional galleries.

Robin Spinks, head of inclusive design at RNIB, said: “We are delighted to collaborate on innovative projects such as Dolby’s Sound of a Masterpiece. Describing how as someone with low-vision, "the depth, texture, and richness provided by the amazing soundtracks really bring these works to life."

He added: "Many more blind and partially sighted people will be able to have a heightened experience through this fantastic project and appreciate artwork in new and meaningful ways.”

The paintings people most want to experience in their original settings is Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa (32%) and The Scream (32%), followed by Van Gogh’s Starry Night (31%) and Monet’s Water-Lily Pond (21%).