The Institute of Sonology is an education and research center for electronic and computer music based at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague in the Netherlands.
Background
The institute was founded at Utrecht University in 1960 as the Studio for Electronic Music (STEM), as a successor to the former studio for electronic music at Philips' NatLab in Eindhoven. In 1964, Gottfried Michael Koenig became the studio's artistic director. The studio grew under Koenig's leadership, and in 1967 an annual international electronic music course was founded which exists to this day.Institute of Sonology (2010), "1964–1986 STEM" Retrieved 2011-02-06
In 1967 STEM was renamed as the "Institute of Sonology". International attention increased in 1971 with the purchase of a PDP-15 minicomputer which was used to develop programs for algorithmic composition and digital sound synthesis.Tempelaars, S. and Koenig, G. M. (1972), "The computer at the institute of sonology, Utrecht", Journal of New Music Research, 1 (2): 167–174 During the early years of the institute, a series of landmark programs were developed there, including Koenig's Project 1, Project 2,Koenig, G. M. and Roads, C. (1978), "An Interview with Gottfried Michael Koenig", Computer Music Journal, 2 (3): 11–15, 29 and SSP,Berg, P.; Rowe, R. and Theriault, D. (1980), "SSP and Sound Description", Computer Music Journal, 4 (1): 25–35 Paul Berg's PILE,Berg, P. (1979), "PILE: A Language for Sound Synthesis", Computer Music Journal, 3 (1): 30–41 Werner Kaegi's MIDIM/VOSIM,Kaegi, W. (1978), 'VOSIM-A New Sound Synthesis System', Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, 26 (6):418–425 and Barry Truax's POD.Truax, B. (1977), "The POD System of Interactive Composition Programs", Computer Music Journal, 1 (3): 30–39 In 1971 the Brazilian composer Jorge Antunes, a precursor of electronic music in his country, was a student at the Institute where he composed the work "Para Nascer Aqui".
In 1986, the institute was moved to the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague, hosting the International Computer Music Conference there during its inaugural year.Sani, N. and Bernardini, N. (1987), "1986 International Computer Music Conference, Den Haag: Review in Two Parts", Perspectives of New Music, 25 (1/2): 618–637
Current research focuses on algorithmic composition, live electronic music, historical reconstructions of electronic and computer music (including György Ligeti's Pièce électronique Nr. 3 and Edgard Varèse's Poème électronique), field recording, sound installations, and sound spatialization.Tazelaar, K. (2009), "Special Section Introduction: The Institute of Sonology", Leonardo Music Journal, 19: 69–70 Alongside the annual one-year course, the institute offers bachelor's and master's degrees in Sonology.
Discography Gottfried Michael Koenig – The Electronic Works (1990) BV Haast His Master's Noise (2001) BV Haast Kees Tazelaar – Electronic compositions (2004) Near Institute of Sonology: Early Electronic Music 1959–1969 (2009) Sub Rosa Anthology of Dutch Electronic Tape Music, vols. 1 and 2 (1979) Composer's Voice
Notable teachers and alumni
Clarence Barlow Jorge Antunes Richard Barrett Paul Berg Konrad Boehmer Nuno Canavarro Marie Guilleray Edwin van der Heide Werner Kaegi Roland Kayn Gottfried Michael Koenig Igor Lintz Maués Shin Mizutani Fred Momotenko Jean Piché Kees van Prooijen Dick Raaijmakers (also taught at the Royal Conservatoire's studio for electronic music) Peter Struycken Barry Truax Henry Vega Claude Vivier Rodney Waschka II Amnon Wolman
References
External links