A mysterious vertical pianist surprised viewers during the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics. The pianist emerged from the ground amid the fog and ascended into the sky while playing a mournful, contemplative piece called “The Hymn to Apollo,” impressively performed from a standing angle. Unfortunately, the commentators for the NBC broadcast did not correctly identify who this person is, so there may be some confusion as to who this flying performer is. Here is more information on who this vertical pianist is at the 2024 Olympics.

The flying, vertical pianist at the 2024 Olympic Games closing ceremony is called 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 footballer of the same name, Alain Roche has been performing what he calls “Piano Vertical” for several years. According to his website profile, for the 2023-2024 season, he will perform 182 consecutive mornings suspended from his vertical piano to celebrate “the blue hour,” inviting 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 mistakenly identified the pianist as Benjamin Bernheim, who is actually the French tenor opera singer who sang “The Hymn to Apollo” with Alain Roche.