UOC unveils a groundbreaking version of 'Gaudeamus igitur' for a modern, 21st-century university

At its upcoming graduation ceremony on 5 February, the UOC will be presenting a new video in which students, alumni, and research, teaching and administrative staff sing an innovative version of the university hymn par excellence: Gaudeamus igitur. This is a song "rooted in the classical academic tradition: the UOC is overhauling it and putting it into a music video format," said Lluís Rius, the UOC's director of Communications.

"Gaudeamus igitur has, over time, become a global university hymn for closing events, one whose origins can be traced back to a tavern song of the 18th century," said Rius. The UOC's idea was to bring another dimension to it, one more in tune with the universities of the 21st century. This new version combines modernity and solemnity, values that are also inherent in our University.

A groundbreaking look that showcases the UOC's global spirit

In addition to musicians and singers, this revolutionary music video features images of the university campus, blended with aerial views of Barcelona and the rest of the world, to highlight the 100% online training and education that characterizes the UOC and that reaches every corner of the globe.

The video, made by production company CANADA, mixes real images of students signing to the UOC from the street, in public transport, at home, etc., with coloured silhouettes on the campus to evoke the idea of avatars walking the halls of the University while the students connect to their classes from all parts of the planet. "CANADA, which is responsible for Rosalía's music videos, was a great partner; they exactly how to handle the new narratives and audiovisual languages," said Rius. These visual metaphors "depict the ubiquitous, distance learning, diverse, changing and global nature of the UOC," he said.

One student, every student

The project kicked off with a call to all the members of the UOC community to form part of the choir that would sing the song. Applications were received from three hundred people, all with some kind of musical knowledge. Twenty people were finally chosen to make up the choir and join forces to sing to the piece, a hitherto unreleased reinterpretation by Óscar Peñarroya.

As part of the cutting-edge aesthetics of the video, and thanks to 3D collage techniques, faces blending and mixed with one another symbolize the University's unity. Windows fixed in space connect different areas of our campus with other places not only in Barcelona, but all over the world. Drones and Steadicam were used to help produce an innovative video for an equally innovative version of Gaudeamus.

About the composer

Óscar Peñarroya (Barcelona, 1974) is a celebrated composer who led the Musical participativo (Participative musical) project covering musical theatre classics, which toured Spain with a choir made up of amateurs. He has also scored a number of shorts, documentaries and feature films.

About the production company

Founded in 2008, CANADA is a creative production company based in Barcelona and with offices in London and Los Angeles. It is now one of the most prestigious names in the industry. They have worked with large fashion, soft drink and decoration companies. One of their most famous music videos is Rosalía's Malamente, which was nominated for a Latin Grammy and has won numerous other awards.