CMS invited lecture series #34
Spencer Topel
Sound Synthesis Revisited: Nonlinear Modulation in Acoustic
Instruments
5.11.2018 ABPU_Sonic Lab 14:30
Sound Synthesis Revisited: Nonlinear Modulation in Acoustic
Instruments
What if electronic music is a premonition for an acoustic future? In
this talk I present recent work relating to augmented music
instrument design, with special consideration of techniques relating
to nonlinear synthesis that include amplitude modulation (AM),
frequency modulation (FM), intermodulation, and other variants. At
the heart of this technology is the Syrinx Acoustic Synthesizer, and
other instrument-specific modifications, consisting of voice-coil
motors and cantilevers in specific arrangements. Inspiration for
these designs came from a diverse range of sources, which included
atomic force microscopy (AFM), biomimetic engineering, and
electromechanical systems invented at the end of the 19th Century.
Photos Spencer Topel
Spencer Topel
is an artist working with sound, performance, and installation. He
is a recipient of numerous awards and honors, including a Danish
International Visiting Artist Residency in 2013 (DIVA), the Palmer
Dixon Prize from the Juilliard School for best composition, BMI and
ASCAP Awards, and was an artist-in-residence with the Meitar
Ensemble in July 2014 (Tel Aviv).
Recent performances and exhibitions include Part des Anges (Center
for the Arts, Wesleyan University), ICED BODIES: Ice Music for
Chicago (The Arts Club of Chicago), Echoic Memory I, II (The drawing
Center NY; Estonian Music Days 2016, Tallinn), Vox Nihili (HAU,
Finkenau, American Modern Ensemble), String Quartet (FLUX Quartet),
Palavers (String Noise), Listening Glass (P.3+ Bamboula NOLA),
Capturing Resonance in collaboration with Soo Sunny Park (DeCordova
Museum), Callings (TonBurst Ensemble,Chosen Vale Festival, FIGURA
Ensemble), and Details on the Strasbourg Rosace (Third Sound, Meitar
Ensemble).
Topel has produced works for many of America's premiere music and
art institutions, including The Barnes Foundation, The Arts Club of
Chicago, The Drawing Center NY, the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture
Park, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Juilliard Symphony, Oregon
Symphony, and the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, TILT Brass, FLUX
Quartet, and the Callithumpian Consort. Notable
national/international collaborations include HUB New Music
(Boston), FIGURA Ensemble (Copenhagen) the Contemporarte Ensemble
(Venice) and the Meitar Ensemble and the Israeli Conservatory
(Tel-Aviv).
Topel received degrees from Cornell and The Juilliard
School before joining the Tenure-Track Faculty at Dartmouth College,
and is currently artist-in-residence at the Yale Quantum Institute
at Yale University.
Organisation: Se-Lien Chuang & Andreas Weixler
CMS Gesprächskonzert #13
Spencer Topel & Pauline Kim Harris
#electronics # violin # acoustics
5.11.2018 ABPU_Sonic Lab 19:30
Photo Spencer Topel
Pauline Kim Harris
is a Grammy-nominated artist who engages in classical to the
experimental/avant-garde. Co-concertmaster and soloist with the
S.EM. Ensemble, Ostravska Banda, Ensemble LPR and Wordless Music
Orchestra, she is also a frequent guest with New York City’s
leading new music ensembles such as Alarm Will Sound, Ensemble
Signal, Argento,Transit,Talea and ICE and has toured with the
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Pauline serves as Music Director of
the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and has performed as
violin soloist for choreographer Pam Tanowitz and David Parker
of The Bang Group. As a curator, she co-produced Drawing Sounds
II, with husband, Conrad Harris at the Drawing Center, most
recently, Petr Kotik @75 at (le) poisson rouge and continues at
Carnegie Hill Concerts. As a member of violin duo, String Noise,
she has expanded the two violin repertoire, pushing boundaries
in groundbreaking new works. Despite her active performance
schedule, Pauline carves out time to compose. Commissioned by
the St. George’s Choral Society her piece for organ, choir,
cello and soprano, “When We Were” was premiered in 2016. A
collection of new works will be presented in July 2019 at her
debut residency at The Stone as well as the world premiere of
"gold/crack" at Roulette in June. Pauline was in the final
masterclass of Jascha Heifetz.
Spencer Topel
https://www.spencertopel.com
Pauline Kim Harris
http://www.paulinekimharris.com
concert programm
Organisation: Se-Lien Chuang & Andreas Weixler
Photos Spencer Topel
Photo Spencer Topel