Pianist Jenny Q Chai to Utilize New Performance Technology

Jenny Q Chai’s performance this coming Sunday at Spectrum in New York City (www.spectrumnyc.com) is one of several intriguing premieres. Not only is she presenting her collaboration with Nils Vigeland, and giving Marco Stroppa’s “Birichino” a US debut, she will also be playing the piano alongside the new Antescofo technology.

Developed by Arshia Cont and Marco Stroppa at the French institute of music science IRCAM (www.ircam.fr), Antescofo is a radical new computer program that listens and follows along with the performer. Rather than using pre-recorded, fixed media, it reacts to the impulses and nuance of the musician, adding whatever the performer wants. An artificial intelligence of sorts, the program gives a lot of freedom to expression, and has been used in performances from the BBC Scottish Orchestra to the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Jenny will be giving the world premiere version of Jarosław Kapuściński’s piece “Juicy” using Antescofo, featuring animations of fruits.