The premiere of the new work by Jacob Mühlrad took place on 17 October at Malmö Live Concert Hall, in an exploration of how technology can sit alongside traditional musical performance
In what is believed to be a world first, a cello played by a robot performed alongside a symphony orchestra in Malmö, Sweden on 17 October.
The performance premiered the new work Veer (bot) for orchestra and robot cello, written by Swedish composer Jacob Mühlrad, in an aim to blend classical music with modern influences, pushing the boundaries of music with the aid of technology.
The robot cello is a unique creation that combines industrial robotic arms with 3D-printed parts, designed by researcher and composer Fredrik Gran The instrument aims to challenge listeners’ traditional notions of musical performance.
Veer (bot) for orchestra and robot cello is based on Mühlrad’s new piano single Veer, to which Mühlrad programmed a simple melody to add a new layer.
’The robot is itself an instrument controlled by my notes. In a way, the composition and the instrument are brought together on an even deeper level,’ says Mühlrad, whose goal is to make the robot’s playing as expressive as possible.
For Mühlrad, the work is a study of the cello’s possibilities when played by a tool with a very different anatomy from a human, and of how technology can complement human musicianship rather than replace it, when man and machine performs side by side.
The robot will also perform in the US in December.
Watch the cello robot perform here:
Watch: Cello playing robot forms part of exhibition at the Kunsthaus Zurich
Read: ‘I keep discovering new tones and shades’ - composer Jacob Mühlrad on writing for strings
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