Lexia: An AI Opera
$25
- Tony Arnold, soprano
- Scott Deal, percussion
- Stuart Gerber, percussion
- Molly Barth, flute
- Eric Mandat, clarinet
- Sean Dowgray, percussion
On the brink of a superstorm of cataclysmic force never seen before in human history, a woman uncovers a future path for our species via an extraordinary transformation of the human—into birds. An opera by Scott Deal for voice, chamber musicians, and music AI processes, which explores the outermost limits of what makes us human in an age of both ecological disaster and autonomous machines.
Lexia features the use of AVATAR, a ground-breaking artificial intelligence software application developed by IU Indianapolis—Herron School of Art and Design professors Jason Palamara and Scott Deal. AVATAR performs music based on input from composers and musical improvisors by drawing information from its data bank or by listening and reacting to improvising musicians while they perform onstage before a live audience. AVATAR infuses the music of Lexia with a unique sonic character that evokes the futuristic atmosphere of the opera.
About Tony Arnold, soprano
About Scott Deal, percussion
About Stuart Gerber, percussion
Lauded as having "consummate virtuosity" by The New York Times, percussionist Stuart Gerber has performed extensively throughout the U.S., Europe, Australia, and Mexico as a soloist and chamber musician. He is Professor of Music at Georgia State University in Atlanta. As an active performer of new works, Stuart has been involved in a number of world-premiere performances. He gave the world premiere of Karlheinz Stockhausen’s last solo percussion work Himmels-Tür in Italy, and his percussion trio Mittwoch-Formel at the annual Stockhausen-Courses in Kürten, Germany.
Stuart is a founding member of the Atlanta-based new music group Bent Frequency, performs internationally as one half of the synthesizer-percussion duo Poèmes Électroniques, and is regularly heard as extra percussionist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
Dr. Gerber received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Oberlin College Conservatory and a Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM).
https://stuartgerber.net/About Molly Barth, flute
About Eric Mandat, clarinet
For more than 40 years, Eric Mandat has been at the forefront of clarinet extended performance techniques exploration, particularly multiphonics, microtones, and timbral modulations. Mandat tours regularly as a concert soloist, premiering and performing his works throughout the world. For 15 seasons, Mandat was a member of the Chicago Symphony's MusicNOW ensemble; he was a member of the eclectic improvising ensemble Tone Road Ramblers for nearly 30 years. Mandat has received multiple Illinois Arts Council Artist Fellowships for Composition. In 1999, he was honored with the Southern Illinois University Outstanding Scholar Award, the university's highest honor for research/creative work.
https://www.ericmandat.com/