Podcast 2: THE AI TAKEOVER OF MUSIC COMPOSITION

Date: Tuesday 21st of April 2020

Classical composer Franz Schubert once said:

“No one understands another’s grief, no one understands another’s joy… my music is the product of my talent and my misery. And that which I have written in my greatest distress is what the world seems to like best”.

Last year, Huawei used Artificial Intelligence, or AI, from one  of its smartphones to complete one of Schubert’s most famous unfinished pieces, Symphony No. 8. This new shift in music composition in classical music has the potential to reintroduce classical music to younger generations, thanks to the endless possibilities it provides. But at what cost? If AI is able to replace the role of a composer, what does this mean for the human mastery and creativity of the composing artform? Associate Professor Goetz Richter, who teaches Violin at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, gives us insight into this new technological shift of AI composing and the human mastery behind the beauty of classical music.