Tod Machover, with Adam Boulanger, Mary Farbood, Gili Weinberg, Rob Aimi, Diana Young, Mike Fabio, Marc Downie, et al.

http://opera.media.mit.edu/

The Hyperinstruments Group at the MIT Media Lab was founded by Tod Machover in 1986 and has been devoted to augmenting musical expression for everyone, from high level virtuosi like Yo-Yo Ma and Prince, to the general public (as in Machover’s Brain Opera, which received its European premiere at Ars Electronica in 1996), to children and families, and to promote health and wellness. An overview of recent Hyperinstrument work will be presented, including Music Toys (Beatbug and Shaper) from the Toy Symphony project (2001-2004), a violin Hyperbow designed for Joshua Bell, and an interactive version of the Hyperscore composing software environment, which lets anyone compose sophisticated music using lines and colors. An overview video will feature Hyperinstrument highlights from the past ten years with an emphasis on work in Music, Mind and Health, and a special showing will be made available of Tod Machover’s 2005 Jeux Deux for hyperpiano, symphony orchestra featuring the Boston Pops, and interactive graphics by Marc Downie, MIT Media Lab PhD and winner of a Prix Ars Electronica in 2002.

This work was generously supported by, among others, the SEGA and CSK Corporations (Japan), the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Tewksbury State Hospital and the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and Harmony Line Inc.