Tod spoke yesterday at Wired 2012, a conference curated by Wired UK magazine to “explore the ideas, innovations and people that are reshaping our world.” The magazine’s write-up about Tod’s presentation is now available online and quotes some remarks about the current project in Toronto:
“When Toronto Symphony Orchestra asked me to write a symphony, I wanted to invite the entire city to write it with me,” he said. “It started off with a picture, which was me imagining a shape and picture of a symphony of Toronto. The score is visual, and the different textures show the rhythms.”
That basic score and chord progression has been adapted, morphed and added to over several months, with contributions from professional players in the city, hip-hop students, street musicians and even the city itself. Sounds were recorded by Toronto’s lake on Cherry Beach, with bird calls and the lapping water perfectly reimagined as an acoustic ensemble, and Machover released a chord to 100 orchestra players for them to hack it.”
Read the full article: Tod Machover is composing a Toronto symphony with help from the city
Opera of the Future 