Our talks will explore some of the many connections between mathematics, music, and visual arts, using as a springboard our collaborative work-in-progress with the Kitchener-Waterloo symphony, to be premiered in April 2016. Dmitri will begin by describing the deep similarities between the languages of music and geometry, showing how elementary musical terms like “chord” and “voice leading” correspond to geometrical concepts like “vectors in an orbifold.” This correspondence in turn allows us to appreciate the hidden logic of particular pieces, the development of styles, and entire genres. Nathan will continue by showing how mathematical ideas can underwrite visually and conceptually striking visual art. The speakers will then join forces to describe some of the challenges and opportunities of using these ideas in creating a multimedia performance. Featured speakers: Nathan Selikoff (Artist) and Dmitri Tymoczko (Music)
Nathan Selikoff
Nathan Selikoff plays with interactivity and motion in time and space. Inspired by the behavior of systems, science, nature, and music, he combines computer code, traditional materials, and future technology to bring new ideas to life. His award-winning artwork has been exhibited and performed in galleries and venues throughout the United States and around the world. Selikoff is represented by Snap! Space in Florida, Bangkok, and Amsterdam.
Dmitri Tymoczko
Dmitri Tymoczko’s book A Geometry of Music is available from Oxford University Press, and his CDs Beat Therapy and Crackpot Hymnal are available from Bridge Records. The author of the first music-theory article ever published by Science magazine, he has received awards from the Guggenheim foundation, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, and other organizations.
St. Jerome's University
University of Waterloo, Faculty of Arts
University of Waterloo, Faculty of Mathematics
Fields Institute