ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND BILLION PIECES FOR PIANO AND COMPUTER

This is an ongoing collaborative project with the astounding pianist and composer Conrad Tao, commissioned for him by the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival. Consisting of an autonomous, interactive software system and improvised live piano performance, OHTB was given its NYC premiere by Conrad in March 2021 as part of a series of pop-up storefront performances sponsored by the Kaufman Music Center. The recordings from that performance are shared here. In a typical performance of OHTB, the software generates an initial musical environment out of sound files it chooses from a large, harmonically organized database. When Conrad plays the piano, the computer is able to listen and react to what he is playing. Conrad, in turn, can interrupt or affect what the computer is playing in a number of ways. In addition, at moments of its own choosing, the computer system will allow Conrad to change the harmonic structure of the music and, potentially, begin a new piece.

Duke Scholars