News

“Science meets Music” on 1 May at Rockhal in Belval

  • Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (FHSE)
    Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT)
    Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History (C2DH)
    University / Central Administration and Rectorate
    29 April 2022
  • Category
    Research, University
  • Topic
    Humanities

The “Sound of Data” opening Event

Exploring the boundless scope of the digital world, University researchers co-organise “The Sound of Data“, a project translating scientific data into music. The project is presented to the public on 1 May 2022 at Rockhal as part of the Esch2022 European Capital of Culture programme.

With activities for families, tech addicts and musicians alike, the event marks the launch of the Esch2022 project “The Sound of Data – science meets music”, a series of events aiming at creating bridges between the worlds of science, technology, music, and art.

The Sound of Data“, an innovative and experimental scientific and artistic approach, is a collaboration between the University of Luxembourg, the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR), the Centre de Musiques Amplifiées Rockhal and the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), and one of the highlights of the Esch2022 “Science Meets Music” Fair at Rockhal on 1 May.

This musical and scientific project involves University researchers from the Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine (FSTM), the Luxembourg Centre for Contemporary and Digital History (CInterdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and TrustDH) and the 2 (SnT), together with sonification experts and artists.

The “Science Meets Music” Fair programme at Rockhal

The Sound of Data is one of the main highlights of the “Science Meets Music” event taking place at the Rockhal’s Foyer and Club on 1 May from 14.00 to 19.30. Open to the public and free of charge, the project showcases the numerous connections between science and music through interactive workshops and performances.

Download the programme

The Sound of Data calendar of Events

The “Sound of Data” consists of a series of events which will unfold from 1 May to 3 December and feature workshops on data collection and sonification combined with lectures and live performances.

During this period, mathematician and sonification artist Valery Vermeulen will sonify the data sets collected by scientists, transforming them into musical building blocks, and teach local artists in an artist residency how to incorporate them in their work. The process involves exchanges with the researchers to understand the science behind the data, analysing such data to identify structures and patterns, and finally converting the data into sounds or music bricks, which will then be used to compose music.

The data sonification compositions will be performed live within the concluding musical extravaganza show on 3 December at Rockhal.

Saturday 1 May 2022 – From 14.00 to 19.30

Launch event: Science Meets Music

Rockhal, Esch-sur-Alzette

From Saturday 28 May 2022 to Sunday 29 May 2022 - From 10.30 to 17.30

Create your own music from (deep)space or wall street (Part 1)

Pavillon SKIP, 10, rue Henri Koch, Esch-sur-Alzette

From Saturday 25 juin 2022 to Sunday 26 June 2022 - From 10.30 to 17.30

Create your own music from (deep)space or wall street (Part 2)

Pavillon SKIP, 10, rue Henri Koch, Esch-sur-Alzette

Saturday 3 December 2022 - All Day

Final event: Live music festival

Rockhal, Esch-sur-Alzette

Meet electronic musician, mathematician and artist Valery Vermeulen

Dr. Valery Vermeulen, artistic partner of “The Sound of Data”, is a Belgian researcher at the Department of Mathematics – Computer Science at University of Antwerp (Antwerp, BE). In 2001 he obtained a PhD in pure mathematics in the field of algebraic group theory at Ghent University (BE) and in 2013 a Master in music production at the Royal Conservatory or Ghent (BE).

Between 2001 and 2005, Vermeulen worked at the Institute for Psychoacoustics and Electronic Music (IPEM, Ghent University) on a research project focusing on the link between music and emotions. Meanwhile he started writing and recording music. Since 2004, Vermeulen has been working on various interactive multimedia projects. Topics in his work cover a broad range of disciplines including algorithmic music composition, (generative) sound synthesis, affective computing, artificial intelligence, biofeedback & psychophysiology, creative evolutionary systems design, astrophysics, theoretical physics, econometrics and data sonification.

Further events are also planned to introduce the public to the interesting intricacies between science and music, as well as the concept of data sonification.

Detailed information about the “Sound of Data”

© University of Luxembourg