Master exam concert
Last week I performed my master exam concert at the Department of Music and Theatre, University of Oslo. The program consisted of improvisations for piano and live electronics. Different MIDI, audio, and video processing techniques were used. Here I describe the different pieces.
Performa
It is incredible how many exciting sounds one can get from a piano, and mallets are a nice change from playing on the keys. The computer helps with temporal adjustments and background sounds.
Contrasting Thoughts
An improvisation for piano and reactive video animation.
Skeiv Halling
When I studied in the US, I was asked to play Norwegian folk music in a concert. The best I came up with was an improvisation of Norsk, opus 12 no 6 by Edvard Grieg. This is a version with some MIDI transformations.
Random Piano
Every pianist’s nightmare would be that the keys change position while playing, which happens here, allowing for a different type of improvisation.
F-chick
This piece was initially inspired by Spain by Chick Corea but has turned into something completely different.
Grains
The piece is based on short recorded sound sequences chopped up and played over four speakers.
Metrosus (installation)
I always find it sad that there is no (musical) sound when you arrive at a concert hall. this installation is based on a series of random functions that will in theory play “new” sound for years. People passing by interacts with the installation through an infrared “switch”.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to all my previous piano teachers, and in particular Anne Eline Risnæs (UiO), Misha Alperin (NMH), Bevan Manson (University of California, Berkeley). Thanks also to my computer music teachers Edmund Campion and David Wessel (CNMAT, UC Berkeley) and Asbjørn Flø (NOTAM). finally, thanks to Gunnar Flåtten, Rolf Inge Godøy, and Henrik Sundt for various assistance with the concert.