Max Meetup – Composition In Max

Helen Bledsoe is based in Cologne and has been flutist of Ensemble Musikfabrik since 1997. At the moment she is dedicated to bringing works that combine improvisation with accessible electronics to audiences, both as a performer and a composer. At the moment she is on a research stipend from the Deutscher Musikrat to study musical applications of machine learning.

Michele Zaccagnini studied clarinet at the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia in Rome, graduated cum laude with a bachelor in Economics at Universita’ La Sapienza in Rome. At Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts he graduated with a Ph.D. in Music Composition and Theory where he studied with Martin Boykan, Yu-Hui Chang and Eric Chasalow. Michele’s main area of theoretical research focuses on Algorithmic Composition; he published a paper about Aldo Clementi compositional process in Perspectives of New Music, a description of one of his own compositional processes in The OM Composer’s Book n.3 (published by Ircam) and a paper about the Nonlinear Sequencer for the SEAMUS Conference in 2020 which is also available as a tool package in MaxMsp’s Package Manager. Michele’s creative work consists of both music and audiovisuals implemented with idiosyncratic algorithmic techniques that are aimed at exploring static, non-narrative music.

Jose Veliz is an award-winning composer, performer, interactive artist, and technologist from Guatemala, currently residing in the US. He has written musical compositions and arrangements for live performances, films, and other media projects, but his main focus is towards the development of interactive musical experiences. His projects include compositions that allow audiences to control musical changes in live performances, the development of new technologies for the creation of interactive music, and immersive installations that generate material with the participation of audiences. His works explore themes of unity, connectivity, and nature, all while exploring culturally diverse musical genres. Jose is the recipient of various awards such as the YoungArts Composition award, the Broward Cultural Division grant, the AARLCC Art and Activism Social Justice Residency, and most notably a Knight New Work winner, which provided him with funds for the development of Take Control Video, an online interactive video platform.