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James Opstad

Music, University of Birmingham

Thesis title:

A new kind of score: rethinking the relationship between composer, performer and technology

In this practice-based research I am developing new tablet-based score-reading technologies and utilising these in my compositional work. In recent years, the tablet computer has become increasingly prevalent on the concert stage. Many musicians are now using score-reading applications as a convenient replacement for sheet music, much as e-readers have become a popular substitute for books. Despite this widespread adoption, the performer’s relationship with the score has remained much the same. My research focuses on the new compositional possibilities afforded by further technological development in this area.

Research Area

  • Music

Conferences

TENOR 2020 (International Conference on Technologies for Music Notation and Representation) - 'Aiding the Performance of Tempo Canon: New Technology in Studies 1, 2 and 3 for String Quartet'

TiMP 2019 (Technology in Musical Performance) - 'New Technology and the Performer Experience in Studies 1, 2 and 3 for String Quartet'

Qualifications

MA by Research, University of Birmingham

BMus (Hons) First Class, Royal Academy of Music

Performance Experience

duck-rabbit (duck-rabbit.co.uk)

Apartment House

An Assembly

LCMF Orchestra

Fugata Quintet

Paprika

Performances in UK, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Romania and Abu Dhabi

Live broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 In Tune and BBC Radio 3 World On 3