The National Film School of the Latvian Academy of Culture hosting guest lectures by the creator of FM Synthesis John Chowning
On May 22, 2018, at 18:00, at the National Film School of the Latvian Academy of Culture (17 Elijas Street), the creator of the FM synthesis, composer and Stanford University professor John Chowning will give a guest lecture on the theme FM Synthesis: 50 years of making music and the creation of the instrument, as well as give a concert performance starting from 20:00.
It was 60 years ago, in 1957, when Max Mathews, while working at the Bell Labs, produced the first sound synthesis program Music I, which was then improved and distributed in 1963 as Music IV. This program could be used only by rich corporations which had mainframe computers and the music creation process was slow and complicated. John Chowning’s frequency modulation (FM) system was created in 1967. The computer could do its calculations faster and it had only few control parameters and a sound spectrum amplitude. This resulted in computers being used for a wide variety sound synthesis. In 1983. Yamaha used Chowning’s technology and Stanford University licence to create the famous and widely used DX7 synthesizer. Development of personal computers and MIDI in the early 80-ies paved way for a much wider use of computers in sound synthesis.
John Chowning’s lecture will give visitors the opportunity to learn about the FM Synthesis from the first experiments that took place 50 years ago until the early 70-ies and listen to the demonstration of Chowning’s composition Voices within the MaxMSP program.
Chowning’s concert will include the classical electronic works Stria, Turenas, Phoné, as well as the more recent piece Voices, which includes the performance of coloratura soprano Maureen Chowning.
John Chowning’s lecture and concert is organized by Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music in cooperation with the Latvian Academy of Culture.
The entrance is free of charge for everyone.