Master’s Degree in Composition with Technologies

ECTS60
Places available15
Calendar2 October - 31 May.
The Master's Thesis is presented in concert the 1st week of July.
ScheduleFrom Monday to friday, to 18h to 20h.
ModeAttending
Teaching languageCatalan, Spanish, English
Fees / credit94,45 €

The anachronic figure of the technical assistant who helped the composer to generate and to program the electronic part of his works has nowadays the same lack of sense than needing someone to help the composer to orchestrate because of one being untrained to do it by oneself. The composer is responsible for every sounding element (electronic or instrumental) that configures a work, and that’s why new generations of composers who wish to use these means know that to them it is as necessary to learn harmony, counterpoint or orchestration, as to master concepts, techniques and computer programs for the generation and processing of sound, its sequencing and spatialization, etc. New compositional techniques necessary to compose with current technology, nowadays already indispensables in the training of new batches of composers and performers wishing to work present repertoire with these means.

This Master’s program was designed and offered for the first time in the school year 2007–2008 as part of the ECMCT (European Course for Musical Composition and Technologies), the Leonardo da Vinci European project. This project aims to define contents and methodologies at a high level for a post-graduate course based on the latest technologies. This project was developed in collaboration with prestigious European institutions specializing in this field: IRCAM (Paris), Technische Universität (Berlin), Universität der Künste (Berlin), Musikhochschule Hanns Eisler (Karlsruhe and Weimar), Sibelius Academy (Helsinki), Muzyka Centrum Art Society (Krakow), Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (Tallinn).

The current Master’s Degree in Musical Composition with Technologies draws on the experience and covers many different technical aspects and specialized programs, as well as concepts and techniques inherent in the creation and structuring of a well elaborated musical discourse. This discourse includes both the aspects of the instrumental writing and the technology. The knowledge acquired in this program converges in the elaboration of a mixed work for instrument and electronics in a free format that could be with instrument and tape or a work which interfaces and/or interacts in real time.

Access and admission

To access the master’s degree, you must have a higher degree in music or equivalent accredited experience. The candidate must send their own music scores and / or recordings. The material sent will be evaluated by the management of the master’s degree.

Curriculum
Subjects
Credits
Fundamentals of Acoustics, Synthesis and Sound Editing 3
Fundamentals of musical composition, form and structure
3
Extended instrumentation techniques
3
Fundamentals of programming 3
Studio and post-production techniques
3
Electroacoustic composition
6
Computer aided composition
3
Analysis and conceptual aspects of music with technologies3
Programming and use of interactive systems 6
Writing and compositional and interpretive strategies for electronic and instrumental music 6
Computer image generation and lighting and lighting3
Live Coding3
Final project 15
Objectives and competencies

The main objective of the course is to offer specialized training for composers or music professionals who wish to incorporate the latest technology into their productions.

The course will provide the necessary tools for students to:

  • Understand and be able to use the main concepts and computer tools applicable to music production and creation.

  • Learn and use MIDI and audio composition and editing programs, real-time, interactive, and deferred sound synthesis, control, and generation environments.

  • Gain practical knowledge of programming and generation of sound and musical structures.

  • Be able to make a musical composition using advanced and diverse computer techniques and tools.

Who is it for

Graduates in music, composers, performers, music teachers, designers and sound technicians with experience in the field of composition or sound creation, and professionals interested in incorporating computer media into their creative, interpretive, productive or teachers.

Professors

Coordination: Eduard Resina


Ariadna Alsina
Alex Barrachina
Joan Bagés
Lina Bautista
José Manuel Berenguer
Sixto Cámara
Pedro González
Christophe Havel
Enric Guaus
Fèlix Pastor
Luis Nacenta
Eduard Resina
Josep Rio-Pareja
Oriol Saladrigues

Academic calendar

Class hours are always from 6 to 8 p.m.

1r quarter (Oct- Des)
Day
Subject
Mon. Fundamentals of programming
Tues.Basic study and post-production techniques
Wed.Fundamentals of acoustics, sound synthesis and editing
ThursExtended instrumentation techniques
Fri.Fundamentals of musical composition, form and structure
2nd quarters (Jan-Mar)
Mon. Computer assisted composition / Writing and compositional and interpretive strategies of electronic and instrumental music
Tues.Computer assisted composition / Writing and compositional and interpretive strategies of electronic and instrumental music
Wed.Programming and use of interactive systems
ThursElectroacoustic composition
Fri.Generation and manipulation of images and lighting by computerComputer image generation and lighting and lighting
3rd quarters (Mar-May)
Mon.Writing and compositional and interpretative strategies of electronic and instrumental music
Tues.Live Coding
Wed.Analysis and conceptual aspects of music with technologies
ThursElectroacoustic composition
Fri.Programming and use of interactive systems
sine die
Individual tutorials
June/July
sine die
Preparation and performance of a premiere concert

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