Robot Symphony: Dresden orchestra conducted by 3-armed robot
October 11, 2024
In collaboration with the Technical University of Dresden, a robot has been trained to beat time and indicate dynamics. Playback mode allows the robot's movements to be sent directly to the machine's three arms.
The concert with three world premieres will take place at the Festspielhaus Hellerau - European Center for the Arts near Dresden. It will be live streamed on DW's Classical Music YouTube channel on October 13 at 3 p.m. CEST (Central European Summer Time).
The technological touch
What will be the reaction of an orchestra that is so accustomed to reading the subtlest movements and gestures of its conductor and translating them into music? What about the conductor's authority and charisma? Will a new form of musical expression emerge from this collaboration? And will composers in the future break new ground by working with a sophisticated robot conductor?
The "Robot Symphony" project explores the complex relationship between art and technology.
A varied program
In the first part of the evening, 16 brass players and 4 percussionists from the Dresdner Sinfoniker will perform works by Markus Lehmann-Horn, Konstantia Gourzi, and Wieland Reissmann under the baton of Magnus Loddgard.
After the intermission, the conductor will hand over the baton to his mechanical colleague, who will take on the difficult challenge of conducting the world premiere of "#kreuzknoten" by Wieland Reissmann. Two of its three arms will lead the orchestra safely through the overlapping tempi. One section of the musicians starts slowly and accelerates, while the other half slows down. Due to its rhythmic finesse, "#kreuzknoten" could not be conducted by a human being.
This is followed by a work by composer and pianist Andreas Gundlach commissioned by the Dresdner Sinfoniker. In "Semiconductor's Masterpiece," Gundlach draws on the robot's ability to use its three arms to guide the three sections of the orchestra separately through complex rhythmic passages. Such a test of the robot's mastery wouldn't take place in ordinary life.
In the final part of the concert, the conductor and robot will appear side by side for "Musica Celestis" by Aaron J. Kernis.
Combining innovation and education
The "Robot Symphony" also includes the educational project "Spot.Me" with 8th and 9th grade students from the Dresden-Johannstadt high school. In cooperation with the Technical University of Dresden, Dresden choreographer Norbert Kegel developed a choreography with the students that involves them interacting with a robot dog. The choreography is the centerpiece of the short film "Spot.Me" that will be presented at the concert.
For the past 25 years, the Dresdner Sinfoniker has been one of the leading ensembles for contemporary music. Their extraordinary productions — which bring together musicians from many of Europe's leading orchestras for specific projects — have received numerous awards (UNESCO Special Prize "Welthorizont," ECHO Klassik). With innovative music education and alternative concert formats, the Dresdner Sinfoniker is leading the way into the future.