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Extending expression, learning, and health through innovations in musical composition, performance, and participation

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Attribution 4.0 International

Opera of the Future

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Article Research

Becoming Human - AI's Next Evolution Part Two: AI & We

Media Lab researcher Nikhil Singh and alums Aruna Sankaranarayanan and Matt Groh discuss ways that deepfakes may affect the 2024 elections.
Article Research

Alexandra Rieger: Innovating Omnisensory Medicine at MIT & Harvard

PhD student Alexandra Rieger discusses her research combining music, engineering, neuroscience, and design.
Post Research

Tod Machover inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences

Congratulations to Professor Machover, who leads the Opera of the Future research group at the Media Lab!
Gallery Research

FLOW Symphony: Image gallery

Learn more about the world premiere of Tod Machover's latest composition—FLOW Symphony—on this related event page.
Article Events

The Chosun Daily covers the world premiere of FLOW Symphony in Seoul

Can AI collaborate with a chamber orchestra in real time? Tod Machover, a professor at MIT Media Lab is taking on this challenge in Korea.
Article Research

A whale’s tale from artist Andy Cavatorta

Media Lab alum Andy Cavatorta talks to Slice of MIT about his kinetic sculpture "Whale," on display at MIT Museum.
Article Research

These mobile games are for the birds

Alum Rébecca Kleinberger (Opera of the Future) considers ways of building games that work for birds' unique needs.
Post Research

Meet the 2024 LEGO Papert Fellows

Congratulations to Kayla, Ila, and Ana on receiving this fellowship!
Post Research

Tod Machover receives honorary doctorate of letters from Colgate University

Professor Machover also held a commencement seminar, titled "Sound Futures: How Music and Technology Will Shape AI, Health, and Community.”
Article Research

I know how the caged bird jams

Media Lab alum Rébecca Kleinberger, who’s now a professor at Northeastern University, talks about her work on sonic enrichment in zoos.
Article Research

Seven from MIT elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences for 2024

The prestigious honor society announces more than 250 new members, which includes Tod Machover, head of Opera of the Future.
Article Research

At the Venice Biennale, the German Pavilion Undergoes a Transformation

Nicole L'Huillier, an alum of the Opera of the Future group, is collaborating on a sound installation at this year's Venice Biennale.
Gallery Research

Tod Machover/Lee Bae collaboration at the 60th Venice Biennale

A series of images from an exhibition at the Venice Biennale 2024.
Post Research

Max Addae wins first place in the 2024 Guthman Musical Instrument Competition

Addae received the award for VocalCords, which was developed as part of his master's thesis at the Media Lab.
Article Research

Everything is music to instrument inventor Akito van Troyer’s ears

Alum Akito van Troyer, who's now an associate professor at Berklee College of Music, talks about finding the music in everyday objects.
Post Research

Media Lab research highlighted by MIT News in its wrap-ups of 2023 press coverage

The Media Lab is honored to have had its research and researchers highlighted in two 2023 end-of-year lists prepared by MIT News.
Article Research

How the opera "Schoenberg in Hollywood" went down in Shenzhen, China

Tod Machover was full of praise for the young singers who gave his opera Schoenberg in Hollywood its first public performance in China
Video Videos

Research Group Overview: Opera of the Future

Extending expression, learning, and health through innovations in musical composition, performance, and participation.
Post Research

Jessica Shand named 2023 Steve Jobs Archive Fellow

Media Lab student Jessica Shand, of the Opera of the Future group, was named to the inaugural class of the 2023 SJA Fellowship.
Article Research

Machover’s VALIS this way comes

Professor Tod Machover talks to the Boston Musical Intelligencer about updating VALIS for its first live performance in almost 30 years.
Article Research

Rébecca Kleinberger, From DJ Macaw to Video-Flocking: Leveraging audio technology for animal’s social and cognitive enrichment

Alum Rébecca Kleinberger discusses her work at the intersection of new technology, animal-computer interaction, and the sonic environment.
Article Research

AI: What does it mean? And how is it making these decisions?

In an interview with Chamber Music America, Media Lab Professor Tod Machover talks about AI and music.
Article Research

Re-imagining the opera of the future

The iconic sci-fi opera VALIS, first composed by Professor Tod Machover in 1987, reboots at MIT for a new generation.
Article Research

Before humans ate chickens, we treasured them as exotic pets

"The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week" dives into research by alum Rébecca Kleinberger showing that parrots seem to enjoy video chats.
Post Research

Four Media Lab students receive 2022 MIT Presidential Fellowship awards

Congratulations to four Media Lab students, who have received 2022 MIT Presidential Fellowship awards.
Article Research

Reimagining the Opera of the Future

The iconic sci-fi opera VALIS reboots for a new generation
Post Research

Five Media Lab students receive MIT Presidential Fellowship awards

Five Media Lab students–Ila Kumar, Kimaya Lecamwasam, Cecilé Sadler, Aastha Shah, and Raechel Walker–win MIT Presidential Fellowship awards.
Article Research

An AI opera from 1987 reboots for a new generation

At MIT, Tod Machover’s ‘VALIS’ receives its first staged production in over two decades
Article Research

What Pringles and audio filters can teach us about our brains

In a study presented at CHI 2023, Media Lab alumni used Pringles & audio filters to explore the intersection of sound, flavor, & perception.
Article Research

AI is taking music lessons. They’re not going great.

Professor Tod Machover, head of the Media Lab’s Opera of the Future group, talks to the Washington Post about AI, music, & human creativity.
Post Research

Dallas Symphony Orchestra launches new Jeanne R. Johnson Education Center

The new Center will provide music education to students across North Texas, in cooperation with the Media Lab's Opera of the Future group.
Video Videos

VALIS Song

"I want to see you."
Video Videos

VALIS Slippers Song

"When I fell asleep that night, I had a dream."
Article Research

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu asks SA+P advanced degree recipients to be forces for good in Boston and beyond

Media Lab professor Tod Machover performed a new musical composition, "A Little Hub Symphony," during the SA+P advanced degree ceremony.
Post Research

Congratulations to everyone graduating in 2023!

We're so proud of everything you've accomplished here, and can't wait to see what you do next.
Post Research

On-orbit livestream events for two Media Lab research projects | Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2)

Q+A sessions on two research projects with contributors from MIT and the Media Lab will be livestreamed from the ISS on May 26 and May 28.
Post Research

Follow along with the score for Tod Machover's GAMMIFIED

GAMMIFIED was Professor Machover's first attempt to create a musical work based around therapeutic Gamma frequencies.
Post Research

MIT Media Lab research on the Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) launch

The Axiom Mission 2 launch will carry a variety of research from the MIT Media Lab to the International Space Station (ISS) on May 21, 2023
Post Research

Prathima Muniyappa and Alexandra Rieger among 2023 cohort of MIT MAD Design Fellows

The MAD Fellowship is an opportunity for MIT grad students to propose a research-oriented or personal design project.
Article Research

MIT HUMANS project breaks down borders, empowering global voices to reach for the stars

The HUMANS nanowafer, an MIT Space Exploration Initiative student-led project, will travel to the ISS this month, and later to the moon.
Post Research

Alaa Algargoosh wins two prizes at the 2023 MIT Research Slam competition

Alaa Algargoosh, a postdoctoral fellow in the Opera of the Future group, won two prizes at the 2023 MIT Research Slam Competition.
Article Research

Polly Wants a Video Chat

Emily Anthes reports on research by Media Lab alum Rébecca Kleinberger and colleagues showing that parrots enjoy videochatting.
Post Research

Meet the 2023 LEGO Papert Fellows

Congratulations to Manaswi, Caitlin, and Jaleesa on receiving this fellowship!
Video Videos

superpose

"superpose" explores the potential of interaction and experiential design.
Article Research

Translating the Music of Trees Into the Sounds of Opera

The tech-forward composer Tod Machover has made a chamber opera of Richard Powers’s novel “The Overstory,” featuring Joyce DiDonato.
Article Research

‘Overstory Overture’ – Tod Machover’s upcoming music magic at Lincoln Center

Tod Machover, head of Opera of the Future, talks about his career, his creative approach, and his latest work, "Overstory Overture".
Article Research

Q&A: Tod Machover on “Overstory Overture,” his new operatic work

Tod Machover, head of the Media Lab’s Opera of the Future group, talks to MIT News about his new operatic work, "Overstory Overture.".
Article Research

Welcome to the MIT Museum’s ‘spiffy’ new digs in Kendall Square

The museum’s director, John Durant, talks about the new location and installations including Media Lab alum Andy Cavatorta’s sculpture.
Article Research

Interview with Jacob Collier: It's proper special

Grammy Award-winning artist Jacob Collier talks to Opera of the Future alum Andy Hong about music and technology.
Article Research

New MIT Museum glimpses the future and examines school’s past

The Boston Globe takes a tour around the new MIT Museum, highlighting a number of exhibits and events related to the Media Lab.
Post Events

Overstory Overture

Machover’s Overstory Overture is a 30-minute work, for a single voice, chamber ensemble, and electronics.
Post Research

The Media Lab @ the MIT Museum

We're thrilled to welcome our friends at the Museum to Kendall Square!
Post Research

Fast Company's 2022 Innovation by Design Awards: Media Lab Honorees

The honorees will be included in the October 2022 print issue of Fast Company Magazine.
Post Research

Xiao Xiao wins second place in the 2022 Guthman Musical Instrument Competition

For the project T-Voks: The Singing and Speaking Theremin. Congratulations!
Article Research

Gramophone reviews Tod Machover's Death and the Powers

Gramophone contributor Laurence Vittes spotlights Tod Machover’s “Death and the Powers,” an opera about robots and humans.
Article Research

Harmonix keeps innovating, with lasting impact

The MIT spinout has been releasing iconic video games for more than 25 years.
Article Research

RadioWest 20th Anniversary: The Human Voice

Opera of the Future alum Rébecca Kleinberger discusses the human voice—how our voices affect our identities, how we hear ourselves, etc.
Article Research

Epi/20: Fluid Music | Mutating Music with MIT Media Lab’s Charles Holbrow

Alum Charles Holbrow talks about his work and shares his views on the past, present, and future of music and technology.
Article Research

The barriers to innovation

Opera of the Future alum Joe Chung writes that Boston is ideally suited to become a hub of the world’s longevity-innovation ecosystem.
Post Research

Tree Clocks: an interactive rhythm and language work

Tree Clocks was selected as the winning project at the Code Cypher hosted by MIT CAST.
Article Research

For multimedia artist Nicole L'Huillier, sound is a portal for change

Opera of the Future PhD candidate Nicole L'Huillier discusses her multimedia artwork with WBUR.
Video Videos

Music | Machines: Opera, Collaboration, and (Sometimes) Serendipity

Music | Machines - Professor Tod Machover in conversation with the team from Death and the Powers.