NZEMS: September 2-4 2009

From 2-4 September 2009 the University of Auckland’s School of Music will host a 3-day research symposium on the topic of Eight Channel Electroacoustic Music.

In recent years a  number of New Zealand’s main centres for the study of electroacoustic music have refitted (or are currently refitting) their ‘electronic music studios’, and are now boasting eight channel electroacoustic composition suites. The advent of new technologies as well as research from the international electroacoustic community (ambisonic recording/diffusion, vector base amplitude panning, wave field synthesis, multichannel spectral diffusion etc.) has provided a range of powerful tools which in many ways presents the electroacoustic composer with ‘new horizons’. 

As a special feature of the symposium, and as part of ongoing research in ambisonics and multichannel spatialisation, a 24-channel discrete 'acousmonium' will be installed in Studio One at the Kenneth Myers Centre. Protel New Zealand have kindly sponsored the installation. Several of New Zealand’s most prominent electroacoustic composers including John Cousins, John Elmsly, Dugal McKinnon, and Ian Whalley will be involved in the symposium. International guests include Professor Leigh Landy (De Mountfort University) and Gerardo Dirie (Queensland Conservatorium at Griffith University).

The Symposium is currently calling for presentations. Other events associated with the NZEMS include:

• Seeing with Ears: Video Works by John Coulter
• Sonic Art Concert
• 8-Channel Works by John Cousins (for registered attendees only)

For further details, or to register for NZEMS, please contact the NZEMS event manager Jasmine Chen.