The 2025 International Computer Music Conference (ICMC) has concluded in Boston, MA hosted by Northeastern University, New England Conservatory, Berklee College of Music, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Emerson College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This year's conference was dedicated to the memory of David Wessel, ICMC's founder and CNMAT's director from 1987-2014. The conference was hosted and chaired by CNMAT alum Anthony DeRitis (Prof. Music, Northeastern University). We learned this week that the 2026 conference will be hosted and chaired by CNMAT alum Georg Hajdu (Director Hamburg Hochschule of Music and Theater) in Hamburg, Germany in 2026.

CNMAT was well represented with contributions from many of our CNMAT faculty, staff, students and alumni in concerts and presentations over the 7 days of the conference. 

 

David Wessel Festschrift:

This year's ICMC commemorated the 10th anniversary of David Wessel's passing. UC Berkeley Professors, CNMAT alumni, former staff and collaborators participated in the Wessel Festschrift to produce a commemorative volume comprising over 150 pages of interviews, remembrances, historical pictures and documents honoring David's life. Full PDF available here: https://icmc2025.sites.northeastern.edu/wessel-festschrift/

 

Keynote:

• CNMAT Alum and Ligeti Center Director, Georg Hajdu, delivered the final keynote address of the conference "From Ligeti to the ligeti center: How Music and Curiosity Inspired a Center for Innovation" on Saturday, June 14, Emerson University.

 

Papers:

• CNMAT's co-director, Carmine Cella, co-authored a paper with Nicola Casetta "A dynamically controlled feedback system: Waking cloud". Session 7B, Friday, June 13, Northeastern University.

• CNMAT's Technical Director, Jeremy Wagner, presented a paper on "A Method for Near Real Time Estimation of Resonant Models" describing his work on a new Max object, qrm~ which makes quick resonant model estimates for target sounds. Session 4A, Wednesday, June 11, Berklee College of Music.

• CNMAT's Technical Director, Jeremy Wagner delivered CNMAT's studio report "An Overview of CNMAT Technologies & Future Directions". Session 8A, Friday, June 13, MIT Media Lab. 

• CNMAT Alum Matthew Goodheart delivered a paper "Instrument-Adaptable Composition" describing recent work with acoustic response of instruments as a compositional stimulus. Session 7B, Friday, June13, Northeastern University.

• CNMAT Alum and Stanford University Professor Matthew Wright delivered a paper "Preparation for Improvisation with Oud and Interactive Electronics" describing his performance system. Session 9B, Saturday, June 14, Northeastern University.

 

Performances, Exhibitions & Installations:

• CNMAT co-director Edmund Campion's These Things Happen for Marimba and electronics was performed on Concert #10 at Boston Conservatory performed by percussionist Matt Sharrock of Hinge Ensemble.

• CNMAT Ph.D. candidate Luke Dzwonczyk's audiovisual work The Breathing of this Celestial Machine was presented Monday, June 9 at Northeastern University.

• CNMAT affiliate researcher Alois Cerbu's work Circuit Studies was presented Thursday, June 12 at Boston Conservatory.• CNMAT Alum and University of California, Santa Cruz Professor Matthew Schumaker's Satellites for piano & electronics was performed on Concert #3 at New England Conservatory performed by Hubert Ho (also a UC Berkeley/CNMAT Alum).

• CNMAT Alum and Boston Conservatory Professor Dan VanHassel's Camouflage for piano & live electronics was performed on Concert #13 at Boston Conservatory by Keith Kirchoff.

• CNMAT Alum and Stanford University, CCRMA Technical Director Matthew Wright performed Taqsim / The Humanity of Arabs, for oud and electronics on Concert #12 at Boston Conservatory.

 

The full ICMC program is available at https://icmc2025.sites.northeastern.edu/