Augmented Orchestra technology premieres in California

Anna Clyne is set to premiere her first work with the Augmented Orchestra (AO), a new technology created, developed and implemented by the composer along with sound designer Jody Elff. Using computer processes to augment the sound produced by orchestral players and their instruments, forming an extension of the orchestra.

AO will be experienced for the first time by audiences at the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. The festival will close on 13 August with the premiere of Clyne’s Wild Geese, conducted by Cristian Măcelaru. Commissioned by the festival, the work takes its inspiration from a poem of the same name by American poet Mary Oliver.

Clyne, who is the 8th most performed contemporary composer in the world and was the most performed living female British composer in 2022, said: 'The idea for AO originated from a discussion about subtly merging the orchestral sound-world with contemporary sound manipulation tools. Our decades-long work with sound, electronics, and orchestral composition presented an opportunity to explore new musical territory. We hope audiences and orchestras find the results engaging as the experiment evolves.'

Created by Clyne in collaboration with Jody Elff, AO uses a computer to manipulate the tone, amplitude, dynamics, location and environment of sounds produced by an orchestra. The augmented sounds are then integrated back into the sound of the physical orchestra and perceived by the audience as a ‘natural extension’ of the orchestra. Following this week’s premiere, the next implementation of AO will be a large-scale concerto for orchestra.