Descriptions of the the Music Technology department focus areas

Electroacoustic music

Electroacoustic music leads to competences as a composer, performer, digital musician, sound artist, developer and /or researcher. The center offers access to many expertise and collaborations with high level musicians and is also open to multidisciplinary projects involving other departments and communities of the University of the Arts. It has an international staff and courses that can be combined and invites regularly experts from Finland and abroad. The centre offers access to exceptional venues, studios and tools (links).

Sound-based composition is important in electroacoustic music. The main subgenres are acousmatic (fixed media) music, mixed music with electronic and acoustic instruments, and various live electronic music practices – including all music genres.

Experimental performance with electronics

The centre encourages and facilitates the production of new forms of concert, including interdisciplinary and experimental aspects, and various spatial configurations (as part of masters and doctoral studies).

This area consolidates the performative skills needed for playing with electronic setups for an audience.

Film and game music

This area includes composing and producing music for film and computer games. The main focus is to work in cross-disciplinary groups and how to merge one’s own artistic and technical knowledge with that of others in the project. This area benefits of a close collaboration between various departments of Sibelius Academy and the Film and Game Design faculties of Aalto University.

Live sound in concert settings

The many concerts and musical performances organised at the Sibelius Academy offer an ideal testing ground to gain experience in sound diffusion, amplification techniques and live mixing in all music genres. The biannual department’s festival, MuTeFest showcases the diversity of work done within the centre. The new platform Production Lab will offer the possibility to produce live art events in a new way.

Media and sonic arts

Media and sonic arts are a cross-disciplinary art form, formed when installation and site-specific art, sound design, sound reproduction techniques, composition, interaction design and performance art meet. Media and sonic arts offer support for all music technology studies at the centre, but are also an important opportunity for those musicians, artists and sound designers who are interested in space, media and new technologies.

Music technology pedagogy

The centre has developed during various years a pedagogical area, to form the future music technology teachers. It is an important task, to ensure a professional level in the teaching of this subject in all school levels.

Recording arts and music production

The Sibelius Academy premises and community offer an exceptional environment for practicing, experimenting and learning music recording and production in many musical genres and under the guidance of leading professionals. The community includes high-level musicians in ensembles, a symphony orchestra, jazz line-ups from groups to big band, and contemporary folk music groups with whom to collaborate.