music technology archive

MIT's Makan wins Rome Prize - MIT professor Keeril Makan, a musician and composer acclaimed for his technique of layering recorded and live sounds, has been awarded the prestigious Rome Prize by the American Academy in Rome for 2008-2009. April 11, 2008

Alum 'zaps' MOS - Christine Southworth's "Zap!" combines a Van de Graaff generator, flutes, guitar, cello, bass, piano, robots and human voices. The composition will be performed at the Museum of Science's Theater of Electricity (Science Park, Boston) on Friday, April 27 at 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. April 25, 2007

ICA presents Machover work - MIT Media Lab composer Tod Machover, known for his innovativeness as a musician and as a creator of new technology for musical instruments, will present an evening performance of work commissioned for the Grammy Award-winning Ying Quartet. March 21, 2007

Condry explores Japanese hip-hop in new book - Six months of hanging out in smoky, grungy "genbas," or Japanese hip-hop clubs, gave cultural anthropologist Ian Condry insight into how American rap music and attitudes were being transformed by the youth in Japan. March 7, 2007

Media Lab plans 'sonic bath' for Music Library - The Lewis Music Library will be transformed into what Tod Machover, professor of media arts and sciences, calls a "sonic bath" next week as graduate students from the Media Laboratory join him in a collaboration with library staff to present "Library Music." January 10, 2007

Makan's '2' will be performed next month - Keeril Makan, 35, is a sought-after contemporary composer who has received commissions from various ensembles and organizations all over the country and has participated in music festivals around the world. November 22, 2006

R.D. Lewis Music Library turns 10 - The newly renovated Rosalind Denny Lewis Music Library opened its doors 10 years ago. People entered the library more than 500,000 times; approximately 330,000 items were circulated and more than 20 concerts and events were performed in the library by MIT faculty, students and staff. November 1, 2006

Building a better violin bow? Sounds good! - Diana Young, a Ph.D. candidate in the Hyperinstruments Group of the MIT Media Lab, has developed a new electronic sensing system to measure minute changes in the position, acceleration and strain of a violin bow. July 6, 2006

Orchestra leader bids farewell May 17 - Dante Anzolini, music director of the MIT Symphony Orchestra (MITSO) since 1998, will conduct his farewell concert May 17, leading the symphony in a performance of Mahler's Symphony No. 7. May 17, 2006

Harris gets grant for Handel work - Ellen T. Harris, the Class of 1949 Professor of Music, has been awarded a $40,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to broaden her research on "Messiah" composer George Frideric Handel. March 14, 2006

Philharmonic to premiere Child choral work - "Americana" will be presented by the New England Philharmonic, where MIT composer Peter Child is composer in residence. The program will include the world premiere of Child's choral piece, "The Sifting: Three Songs of Longfellow." March 1, 2006

Harbison's 'Milosz Songs' to premiere in New York - MIT Institute Professor John Harbison has adapted texts by Nobel Prize-winning Polish poet Czeslaw Milosz for the New York Philharmonic, which will perform the song cycle, "Milosz Songs for Soprano and Orchestra," Feb. 23-25. February 22, 2006

Memorial concert to honor Edward Cohen - Edward Cohen (1940-2002), a classically trained musician inspired by jazz and devoted to new music, was greatly respected and loved as a colleague and teacher at MIT. The first Edward Cohen Memorial Concert will be held Monday, Feb. 27 in MIT's Kresge Auditorium. February 15, 2006

Concert features hands-off music - In a special noontime concert on Valentine's Day called "Waves of Pleasure," Assistant Professor Brian Robison will wave his hands over a theremin to create other-worldly renditions of popular romantic classics. February 8, 2006

Ring masters - The winners in the MIT Hyperscore Ringtone Competition, held by Harmony Line Inc., were announced at a gala ceremony on Friday, Jan. 27. February 8, 2006

Jazz orchestra to celebrate Big Dig Feb. 8 - Music and theater arts lecturer Mark Harvey and his Aardvark Jazz Orchestra will celebrate the scheduled completion of the Big Dig with the premiere of Harvey's "Dig, Dug, Done," on Wednesday, Feb. 8. February 7, 2006

Get ready for 'Invasion of Technology' - It'll be a jamming night at the Museum of Science as humans, computers and robots join forces to present a musical hybrid of Western and traditional Balinese music, featuring premieres by MIT musicians, on Jan. 25. January 18, 2006

MIT pianist to perform at Jordan Hall - Senior lecturer and pianist David Deveau will perform in New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall as part of the Boston Bank of America Celebrity Series on Saturday, Jan. 14, at 8 p.m. January 12, 2006

'Note'-worthy contest seeks new ringtones - Why have a cell phone that merely rings, beeps or squawks when you can create your own ringtone and compete for prizes while doing so? A new contest using MIT-developed software will let community members do just that. January 10, 2006

MITSO plans Russian celebration - Alexey Shabalin, assistant conductor of the MIT Symphony Orchestra (MITSO), will make his debut conducting the ensemble in a night of all-Russian music inspired by the Russian poet Aleksandr Pushkin and featuring award-winning baritone Anton Belov. December 7, 2005

MIT concert to honor Schuller on Dec. 2 - To commemorate the 80th birthday of Gunther Schuller, world-renowned composer, conductor and advocate of jazz and classical music, the MIT Wind Ensemble will perform music he composed and edited in a concert on Friday, Dec. 2. November 30, 2005

Junior soloist strings together violin, science - Serenus Hua, a 19-year-old MIT junior, has worked his way up in the classical music world, winning numerous competitions and playing everywhere from Juilliard to Jordan Hall. October 19, 2005

Senegal trip adds rhythm to Rambax - This past spring, 11 MIT student musicians who are part of MIT's African drumming ensemble "Rambax" spent three weeks playing, studying and absorbing Senegalese culture during the group's first summer study tour. October 5, 2005

Researchers want to know what's music to your ears - Is one man's Mozart another man's migraine? It might be, if culture plays the dominant role in music perception. Two MIT students have designed an experiment to measure just how different--or similar--perceptions of music are across cultures. August 15, 2005

Tech Night to premiere Machover work - The Boston Pops Orchestra will perform "Jeux Deux," composed by Media Lab Professor Tod Machover on June 2 in Symphony Hall. A real-time video component will create abstract shapes that change with the music. June 16, 2005

Music groups plan to travel globe - Many MIT students will head home this summer, but two of MIT's performing ensembles are planning a different kind of homecoming. May 18, 2005

Galak Tika presents pre-tour concert - MIT's Gamelan Galak Tika will close its 12th season with a program combining new and traditional works for Balinese gamelan and dancers on Thursday, May 19. May 18, 2005

Harpsichordist wins competition - Mary Farbood, graduate student in media arts and sciences, was awarded top honors for her harpsichord performance at the 57th Prague Spring International Music Competition. May 18, 2005

Uncommon music to honor president - The live music for Susan Hockfield's inauguration combines multicultural, ancient and modern elements thanks to four diverse works commissioned for the event Friday, May 6, in Killian Court. May 4, 2005

Concerts showcase musical talents - "Exhilarating," "cathartic" and "devastating" are some of the adjectives that listeners and critics have used to describe Gustav Mahler's Sixth Symphony, to be performed by the MIT Symphony Orchestra (MITSO) in a special Inaugural Concert on May 5. May 4, 2005

Musical journey spans the ages - Mary Farbood, a graduate student in the Media Lab, has helped develop computer software for modern composers. She also plays the harpsichord. April 27, 2005

Professor brings papal music - Music composed by Institute Professor John Harbison and commissioned by the late Pope John Paul II will lead the program presented by the MIT Wind Ensemble on Friday, April 29. April 27, 2005

Aardvark trumpets Jazz Month - The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra (AJO) under the direction of MIT Lecturer Mark Harvey will be performing its spring concert on Saturday, April 30, featuring music from its latest CD, "Trumpet Madness." April 27, 2005

Music library hosts concerts - The normally studious atmosphere of the Rosalind Denny Music Library will be transformed twice this month as the library becomes the site of concerts featuring works from its collection. April 13, 2005

Jazzy birthday planned for Pomeroy - Herb Pomeroy, who directed MIT's Festival Jazz Ensemble for 22 years, returns to MIT for a performance on the occasion of his 75th birthday, "Herb at 75: Celebrating Jazz at MIT." April 13, 2005

Quartet to premiere Ruehr's work - Music and Theater Arts Lecturer Elena Ruehr had big shoes to fill when composing her string quartet commissioned by the Cypress String Quartet: Mozart's and Beethoven's. April 6, 2005

ESG student, staffer make beautiful music - Ole Nielsen, a Ph.D. candidate in electrical engineering at MIT and flutist, will perform a new piece by composer and MIT staff member Graham Ramsay on Friday, March 18, at 5 p.m. in Killian Hall. March 16, 2005

Concert to showcase Korean instruments - The distinctive sounds of traditional Korean instruments will be used to create innovative new music at an Artists Behind the Desk concert at The List Visual Arts Center this Friday, March 18, at 5:15 p.m. March 16, 2005

DeFrantz taps into Monk - Associate Professor Thomas DeFrantz uses tap shoes and technology to tell the story of the life and music of jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk (1917-1982). March 9, 2005

Ziporyn's new music spans 1,000 years - "The Ornate Zither and the Nomad Flute" is the intriguing title of Professor Evan Ziporyn's latest composition, which will receive its world premiere thanks to the MIT Wind Ensemble on March 12. March 9, 2005

Ancient Korean art practiced at MIT - Oori, MIT's traditional Korean folk art ensemble, practices a form of Korean musical culture known as "pungmul," which is comprised of rituals, drumming, dance and acrobatics. January 26, 2005

Scratching LPs isn't always bad - There is more to being a successful DJ than just playing records and scratching, said Lars Blackmore of MIT's Dance Mix Coalition, the six-year-old student group now giving lessons to prospective DJs. December 15, 2004

Ruehr strikes right note - MIT composer Elena Ruehr used a red plastic flute, a moment from early motherhood and an inconspicuous sound system to reflect on her own music-making process in a recent talk at MIT. November 16, 2004

Marks gives silent films a new hearing - An MIT lecturer and his colleagues have brought their talents and passions to a new set of DVDs that brings to life the music of almost-forgotten silent films. October 20, 2004

Physicist explores violins - What makes a Stradivarius sound like a Stradivarius? May 12, 2004

Let there be lute - International harmony takes on new meaning when a Balinese gamelan orchestra performs with a Chinese lute. May 12, 2004

Jazz musicians remember Duke - Musicians will appear at MIT on Friday, April 30 as part of a concert by the MIT Wind Ensemble commemorating the 30th anniversary of the death of Duke Ellington. April 28, 2004

Machover brings music-making to patients - A Media Lab composer and a team from MIT and the Berklee School of Music are using new musical technologies at a celebration of Tewksbury State Hospital's 150th anniversary. April 28, 2004

Mysteries of the violin - Physicist and violin maker William Frederick "Jack" Fry will reveal his most recent advances in unraveling the acoustical mysteries of the world's finest violins in a lecture. April 14, 2004

Student pianist plies keyboard - When Percy Liang isn't creating algorithms, he's creating musical rhythms. March 17, 2004

Harris directs ensembles - Harris, who came to MIT in 1999, is director of the MIT Wind Ensemble and MIT's Festival Jazz Ensemble, both of which will perform this month. March 3, 2004

Cosbyology - Bill Cosby visited MIT on Nov. 25 for a discussion with faculty on early math education for disadvantaged youth. December 3, 2003

Junior violinist solos with MIT symphony - When Insoo Kim takes up his bow to play Alexander Glazunov's "Violin Concerto in A Minor" with the MIT Symphony Orchestra, he will reinterpret the first movement. December 3, 2003

Students launch electronic music library - Two students at MIT today unveiled a campus-wide electronic music library that will provide students, faculty and staff with on-demand access to recordings. October 27, 2003

MIT pianist Hawley featured - The Media Lab's Michael Hawley will be the featured soloist at this year's Tech Night at Pops on Saturday, June 7 at 8 p.m. in Symphony Hall. June 4, 2003

Art Talk: Elena Ruehr, composer - Composer Elena Ruehr, a lecturer in the music and theater arts section since 1992, discusses her new opera. May 21, 2003

One musician, six robots - "Captured! By Robots," described as "a gaggle of loud-mouthed robots," will perform on Saturday, May 17 at 10 p.m. in La Sala de Puerto Rico. May 14, 2003

'Blue' taken to its origins - Frederick Harris, director of the MIT Wind Ensemble, will direct Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" on Saturday night (May 10). May 7, 2003

Pomeroy encore at MIT - Herb Pomeroy returned to campus last weekend to conduct the MIT Alumni Jazz Band at Kresge Auditorium during a concert. May 7, 2003

40th anniversary of MIT jazz - Jazz legend Herb Pomeroy recalled the words of Klaus Liepmann in the spring of 1963 as Liepmann tried to persuade Pomeroy to take on the role of MIT jazz bandleader. April 30, 2003

Toy is a joy in symphony premiere - Composer Tod Machover joined Boston-area children to offer some wild and whimsical lessons in music-making as they performed Machover's Toy Symphony. April 30, 2003

Toy Symphony to have U.S. premiere - The U.S. premiere of Professor Tod Machover's Toy Symphony will be performed April 26, uniting children, high-tech musical toys and professional musicians. April 24, 2003

Violinist vied in competition - Freshman Amy Lee is is a violinist who traveled to Salt Lake City last month as a national finalist in the MTNA collegiate string competition. April 2, 2003

'Big Elephant Brass Band' - The "Big Elephant Brass Band" concert with the MIT Festival Jazz Ensemble and Aardvark Jazz Orchestra play both separately and together on March 8. March 5, 2003

BSO to premiere 'Requiem' - When John Harbison's "Requiem" receives its world premiere performance by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, it will be the culmination of a creative process. March 5, 2003

Cellist chose music over engineering - When world-class cellist Carlos Prieto graduated from MIT, he had no intention of carving out a career in music. March 5, 2003

Controversial concerto - Pianist and MIT senior lecturer David Deveau will present "Three Viennas," a program that highlights three distinct periods in Vienna's illustrious musical history. February 12, 2003

MITSO guest - Guest conductor Ludovic Morlot, called a "young conductor of talent" by the Boston Globe's Richard Dyer, will conduct the MIT Symphony Orchestra. October 23, 2002

Master sarodist Ali Akbar Khan returns to MIT - Yhe MIT community will have a chance to see and hear Ali Akbar Khan, considered one of the greatest living musicians, when he performs in Kresge. September 25, 2002

MITSO gears up for concerts - The MIT Symphony Orchestra is coming back strong after its whirlwind tour of England last May, with four concerts planned for 2002-03. September 18, 2002

Ptolemy Players salute composers - The Ptolemy Players, a 27-member ensemble of MIT students, alumni and affiliates, will present music by winners of the Pulitzer Prize for music composition. September 18, 2002

Music festival benefits kids - Jazz saxophonist Gato Barbieri will perform in the Cambridge Community Foundation's CityMusicFest's series on Sunday, Sept. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at Kresge Auditorium. September 18, 2002

'Auditory chimeras' may help hearing impaired - MIT researchers report that they have invented mythical beasts of sound that may lead to better musical experiences for the hearing impaired. March 13, 2002

'Auditory chimeras' may help hearing impaired - MIT researchers report that they have invented mythical beasts of sound that may lead to better musical experiences for the hearing impaired. March 6, 2002