The academic head at MIT Media Lab will discuss his large-scale tech opera productions.
On the heels of a triumphant debut of his latest opera “Schoenberg in Hollywood” internationally acclaimed artist-innovator Tod Machover will share insights into his groundbreaking approach to the marriage of creativity and technology on Wednesday December 6 at 6 p.m. at Lani Hall on the UCLA campus.
As the one-year anniversary of the launch of ChatGPT draws near, and artists grapple with the opportunities and challenges posed by the age of A.I., Machover’s talk titled “Sharing Authorship with AI: Collaborative Composing,” will explore the implications of A.I. for creativity and ownership, as well as the possibilities for user-personalized music for health/wellbeing contexts.
Machover has been hailed as “America’s most wired composer” by The Los Angeles Times and a “musical visionary” by The New York Times. As an inventor, Machover is celebrated for pioneering Hyperinstruments—A.I. systems that extend a player’s expression. His work with the MIT Media Lab significantly influenced the popular video game Guitar Hero.
Beyond the realm of entertainment, Machover is actively engaged in the development of musical technologies with medical and well-being applications. His contributions to the forthcoming “Music and Mind,” book edited by Renee Fleming, underscore his dedication to exploring the intersection of music and cognitive health.
The event promises an engaging exploration of Tod Machover’s multifaceted career, offering attendees a unique opportunity to gain insights into the future of music, technology, and artificial intelligence.
About Tod Machover:
Machover’s remarkable career has been marked by a commitment to pushing the boundaries of traditional artistic and cultural norms. Musical America honored him as the 2016 Composer of the Year, recognizing his unparalleled contributions to the world of music. Having studied with Elliott Carter and Roger Sessions at The Juilliard School, Machover became the first Director of Musical Research at Pierre Boulez’s IRCAM in Paris. Currently, he holds the esteemed position of Muriel R. Cooper Professor of Music and Media and serves as the Director of the Opera of the Future Group at the MIT Media Lab. His influence extends globally, as he also serves as a Visiting Professor of Composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
Machover’s compositions, commissioned and performed by elite ensembles, opera houses, and soloists worldwide, have consistently pushed the boundaries of musical innovation. Notable works include “VALIS” (1987), based on the novel by Philip K. Dick, and “Death and the Powers” (2010), a Pulitzer Prize finalist. The upcoming presentation of “Schoenberg in Hollywood” (2018) at the School of Music of the University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), China, demonstrates the enduring relevance of Machover’s oeuvre.
For more details about the event, please visit The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.
For more information or to request an interview with the artist, please contact:
Robert Baker
robertbaker@schoolofmusic.ucla.edu
The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music