Beyond the
Machine

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Beyond the Machine is a multimedia performance environment that offers young musicians, actors, and dancers the opportunity to bring their creative ideas to life with new technology. Our programs feature collaborations with creative artists from around the world who share an interest in new media and interdisciplinary work. Now in its 16th year, the festival has grown to include biannual performances of new music and multimedia art.

Beyond the Machine has received critical acclaim from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Musical America for innovative programming. “Basetrack Live,” a multimedia work first produced on Beyond the Machine in 2012, was hailed by The New York Times as one of the “top 10 theatrical events of 2014”.

Beyond the Machine programs feature innovative performance technology that allows artists to expand the range of their instruments, control audio and visual elements with electronic tools, shape video and projection design in real time, and interact with artists and computers around the world via the Web.

Cracked Orlando

As part of Beyond the Machine 2017, the Center for Innovation in the Arts presented Jonathan Dawe's Cracked Orlando: dramma per multimedia e fractals. The chamber opera/ballet, inspired by Baroque music, featured multiple interactive dance projections, a 3D avatar, and real-time audio and video processing, among other tools, to create a 21st-century dramatic experience. 

​Cracked Orlando was conducted by Ryan McAdams and directed by Edward Bilous, head of the Center for Innovation in the Arts, with members of the Juilliard Orchestra. The creative team also included interactive media artist Phoebe Dunn. The three ballets in the work, choreographed by Rebecca Stenn, were captured and manipulated into a multi-layered projection by projection designer John Erickson and videographer Sarah Outhwaite. Edward Bilous and his team then applied motion-capture data from the movements of the dancers to further shape the ballets.

The avatar design was developed by artists and designers at the Universidad Nacional de San Martín in Argentina, Artistic Direction by Sebastian Verea and Animation Studios Director, Luciano Quillici.

Cracked Orlando still

Center for Innovation in the Arts Presents 'Cracked Orlando'

cracked orlando

eVirtuosos

Throughout history, composers and performers have sought ways to expand the expressive capabilities of musical instruments. Instrument makers responded by adding keys, valves, extensions, pedals and other mechanical advancements that in turn, inspired the creation of demanding new works.

With the advent of digital and interactive technology, the expressive potential and technical standards of musical performance have been raised again. Today, performers are frequently asked to use sophisticated performance tools and software and interact with computers. eVirtuosos provides opportunities for the next generation of artists to use innovative performance technology.

Alumni of Beyond the Machine include some of today’s most dynamic creative artists:

Music: Mason Bates, BlindEar, Vicky Chow, Jakub Ciupinski, Avner Dorman, Cornelius Dufallo, Ethel, Ralph Ferris, Ryan Francis, Clarice Jensen, Paola Prestini, Adam Schoenberg, Nadia Sirota, Spence Topel, David Wallace, Arianne Warsaw-Fan, Eric Whitacre and Airi Yoshioka.

Dance: Esme Boyce, Charlotte Bydwell, Andrea Miller, Rebecca Stenn, and Yara Travieso. 

Theater: Ian Belton, Roderick Hill, Juile Jesneck, Kirsten Kelly, Sara Ramierez, Alejandro Rodriguez, Cameron Scoggins, Samantha Soule, Brendan Spieth, and Yara Travieso.

Beyond the Machine Personnel

Edward Bilous, Artistic Director & Co-founder
William David Fastenow, Associate Director
Sumire Hirotsuru, Producer
Greg Kalember, Mix and Record Engineer
Milica Paranosic, Co-founder
Nathan Prillaman, Music Producer / Sound Designer
Samson Stillwell, Video Designer