TLDR:
– Symphony San Jose will present a concert featuring a cellist, Yves Dhar, performing alongside an AI hologram named AGNES.
– The hologram is created by an algorithm called the Automatic Generator Network for Excellent Songs (AGNES).
– The concert aims to explore the question of whether music created by a machine can move an audience the same way music created by a human can.
– The concert will also feature the use of a Halldorophone, a rarely heard electronic cello-like instrument.
– A panel discussion on the use of artificial intelligence in music will be held before the concert.
The Symphony San Jose is set to host a unique concert featuring a cellist and an AI hologram. The concert, titled “Automation,” will showcase cellist Yves Dhar as he performs alongside a hologram named AGNES, which is generated by an algorithm. The concert aims to explore the question of whether music created by a machine can evoke the same emotional response as music created by a human. The hologram, AGNES, is the result of collaboration between Dhar and composer Adam Schoenberg, who worked with teachers from Occidental College’s computer science department to develop a machine-learning algorithm that can compose its own original music.
“Automation” premiered with the Louisville Symphony in 2022 and will be performed at the California Theatre in San Jose. The concert will feature a cinematic narrative created by the composition and on-stage action. The hologram will be created using a special screen and projector, similar to the Pepper’s Ghost illusion. The concert will also showcase the use of a Halldorophone, an electronic cello-like instrument that produces an otherworldly sound.
A panel discussion on the use of artificial intelligence in music will be held before the concert, featuring composer Adam Schoenberg and computer science professor Kathryn Leonard. The concert program will also include other science-fiction and fantasy-themed pieces, such as John Adams’ “Short Ride in a Fast Machine” and Richard Strauss’ “Also Sprach Zarathustra.” The Symphony San Jose hopes that the unique concert will attract a diverse audience and generate interest in both classical music and the innovative use of AI in the arts.