I am a Canadian composer, educator, music technologist living in the Toronto suburbs. In addition to writing music I occasionally design software for audio synthesis and processing. michaellukaszuk.tumblr.com is a blog featuring informal writings on technical aspects of writing music with computers.
Michael Lukaszuk is a Canadian composer, educator and technologist. As a composer, he writes fixed electroacoustic works, pieces for acoustic instruments with live processing, improvisations for laptops, along with algorithmic systems in which computers gradually generate music in a live setting. Michael's output explores themes such as sleep, movement and pop culture artifacts, often drawing influence from styles such as punk, electronic dace music and jazz.
His music has been performed at events such as the International Computer Music Conference, the Toronto International Electroacoustic Symposium, the SEAMUS National Conference, the New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival, Electronic Music Midwest, N_SEME, and New Music Edmonton’s Now Hear This Festival of New Music. Michael's work has appeared on compilation albums such as the "Electronic Masters" series by Ablaze Records and "Deep Wireless" by New Adventures in Sound Art. He has had the privilege of working with performers such as flautist Orlando Cela, and the Orion Symphony Orchestra.
In 2015, Michael received 1st prize in the SOCAN Foundation's Hugh Le Caine Awards for electroacoustic music. His primary teachers included Mara Helmuth at the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, along with Omar Daniel and Peter Paul Koprowski at the University of Western Ontario.
Recent research projects include the creation of new synthesis-based instruments for the SuperCollider and RTcmix computer music languages, and a variety of simple computer-based instruments for performing group improvisations with laptops. Michael holds a DMA in Composition from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, graduating with a cognate in computer music programming. He has taught courses in composition and music technology at Miami University (Oxford, Oh), and at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He also held graduate assistantships in which he taught ear training and electroacoustic composition. From 2015-2017 he was the director of the Cincinnati Composers Laptop Orchestra Project (CiCLOP), a community-oriented research project about electronic music.
His music has been performed at events such as the International Computer Music Conference, the Toronto International Electroacoustic Symposium, the SEAMUS National Conference, the New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival, Electronic Music Midwest, N_SEME, and New Music Edmonton’s Now Hear This Festival of New Music. Michael's work has appeared on compilation albums such as the "Electronic Masters" series by Ablaze Records and "Deep Wireless" by New Adventures in Sound Art. He has had the privilege of working with performers such as flautist Orlando Cela, and the Orion Symphony Orchestra.
In 2015, Michael received 1st prize in the SOCAN Foundation's Hugh Le Caine Awards for electroacoustic music. His primary teachers included Mara Helmuth at the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, along with Omar Daniel and Peter Paul Koprowski at the University of Western Ontario.
Recent research projects include the creation of new synthesis-based instruments for the SuperCollider and RTcmix computer music languages, and a variety of simple computer-based instruments for performing group improvisations with laptops. Michael holds a DMA in Composition from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, graduating with a cognate in computer music programming. He has taught courses in composition and music technology at Miami University (Oxford, Oh), and at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He also held graduate assistantships in which he taught ear training and electroacoustic composition. From 2015-2017 he was the director of the Cincinnati Composers Laptop Orchestra Project (CiCLOP), a community-oriented research project about electronic music.
Much of my music involves the use of technology in some shape or form, often mixed with acoustic forces.
See below for some examples of my work:
See below for some examples of my work:
Fixed-Media examples:
Instruments and electronics
.play; for viola and fixed-media electronics, I - ADSR
Score excerpt:
| lukaszuk_-_.play__excerpt.pdf |
Utterings, for mezzo-soprano and electronics, score excerpt
| utterings_-_score_ex_.pdf |
Laptop Improvisation:
Acoustic Works:
Three Movements for Guitar Trio - (teacher + 2 young guitarists)
| lukaszuk_-_three_movements_for_guitar_trio.pdf |
for glitch sounds in chuck
MPLfilt and foldoverMPL (2016)
These are a couple of classes for chucK that were the results of experimentation with some glitch techniques using the language. They extend the Chubgraph class, enabling users to incorporate them just like any other unit generator.
MPLfilt uses a resonant bandpass filter with Q values < 1.0, also incorporates some infrasonic/ultrasonic frequency content.
foldoverMPL is a simple class for experimenting with aliasing and foldover using simple oscillators. It allows the user to provide a "fundamental" frequency for the distorted foldover that results from the sampling using frequency content above the Nyquist freq -- as opposed to just providing a value like 41,000HZ...
These are a couple of classes for chucK that were the results of experimentation with some glitch techniques using the language. They extend the Chubgraph class, enabling users to incorporate them just like any other unit generator.
MPLfilt uses a resonant bandpass filter with Q values < 1.0, also incorporates some infrasonic/ultrasonic frequency content.
foldoverMPL is a simple class for experimenting with aliasing and foldover using simple oscillators. It allows the user to provide a "fundamental" frequency for the distorted foldover that results from the sampling using frequency content above the Nyquist freq -- as opposed to just providing a value like 41,000HZ...
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Granular synthesis
VwindGen and GrainsMPL (2017)
These are a couple of granular synthesis instruments that I made for my recent fixed piece "Sight Unseen". They are for SuperCollider.
The main idea with both of these instruments is to use an algorithmic, or at least more "outside-of-the-box" approach to windowing grain streams and clouds. They should be placed in the same directory as SC Extensions -- class library needs to recompiled before use.
VwindGen interpolates across a series of wavetables to for a kind of aggregate or meta grain window. GrainsMPL allows the user to generate a grain window based on presets such as geometric and arithmetic series. You can specify starting and ending points, number of points, rate of growth, etc.
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| vwindgentest.scd |
MIKEGRAN (2016) - a granular synthesis instrument for RTcmix. Randomly chooses from a set of wavetables used for grain envelopes and grain waveforms. Also has some interesting presets for quasi-synchronous grain rates. NB a fair bit of borrowed code from other RTcmix instruments. Version B uses a different grain window for the audio signal sent to left channel vs. the right.
Image below shows different window + grain wave combinations in a synchronous stream.
| mikegran.zip |
misc RTcmix
| mike_lukaszuk_-_final_project_mpp_-_2014.zip |
FMCHAIN (2014) - an expanded/modified version of the RTcmix FMINST frequency modulation instrument. FM chain uses multiple carrier/modulator pairs but comines the modulation signal of the previous mod. oscillator with each successive pair. i.e. Great for super wet, intermodulated FM sounds.
FM = Car * Mod
FM2 = Car2 * (Mod2 = Mod2 + Mod)
FM3 = Car3 * (Mod3 = Mod3 + Mod2)
etc.
Laptop performance misc.
| lukaszuk_hatch_proj.zip |
Hatch (2016) -A simple ChucK-based musical instrument designed for group laptop improvisations.
Relies exclusively on keyboard and mouse input.
Relies exclusively on keyboard and mouse input.
My doctoral thesis consisted of original music and software for sound synthesis. See document below for a description of techniques used:
| michael_lukaszuk_-_sight_unseen.pdf |
Upcoming
May 5, 2018 - guitar and live electronics improvisation as part of the Homegrown Live benefit concert in Kingston, Ontario
http://homegrownlive.ca
June 14-15, 2018 - Utterings for mezzo-soprano and live electronics to be premiered in Toronto and London, ON as part of the Art Song Collaborative Project
https://www.artsongcp.com/current-production
July 28, 2018 - Sight Unseen will be played in Mansfield, TX as part of the Applause New Music Festival's "Electric Resonance" series
August, 2018 - Sight Unseen will be played in Daegu, South Korea as part of the International Computer Music Conference
http://homegrownlive.ca
June 14-15, 2018 - Utterings for mezzo-soprano and live electronics to be premiered in Toronto and London, ON as part of the Art Song Collaborative Project
https://www.artsongcp.com/current-production
July 28, 2018 - Sight Unseen will be played in Mansfield, TX as part of the Applause New Music Festival's "Electric Resonance" series
August, 2018 - Sight Unseen will be played in Daegu, South Korea as part of the International Computer Music Conference
Past
March 1, 2018 - My Metal Bird Can Sing will be played in Winnipeg, MB Cluster: New Music + Integrated Arts Festival
Jan, 2018 - Sight Unseen has been included in the New Adventures in Sound Art "Deep Wireless vol. 13" compilation
Dec 8, 2017 - laptop improvisation w/ Paulina Michels (percussion) at Rohs Street Cafe, Cincinnati
November 14, 2017 - Jeongeun Park will premiere ".play;", for viola and fixed media, at CCM Sonic Explorations, Cincinnati, Oh
Nov 16, 2017 - Przypadek was featured on Tom Lopez's "Foldover" broadcast, WOBC 91.5 FM, Oberlin, Ohio http://www.timara.oberlin.edu/tlopez/foldover/index.html
Oct 29, 2017 - My Metal Bird Can Sing, final round of the MusicAcoustica electronic composition competition, Beijing, China
Aug 10, 2017 - My Metal Bird Can Sing, at the Toronto International Electroacoustic Symposium
June 20, 2017 - My Metal Bird Can Sing, at the New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival
April 21, 2017 - My Metal Bird Can Sing, at the SEAMUS (Society for Electroacoustic Music In the United States) conference, St. Cloud, Minnesota
June 16, 2017 - My Metal Bird Can Sing, at the New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival
June 10, 2017 - My Metal Bird Can Sing (fixed-media), at the National Student Electronic Music Event, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Dec 13, 2016 - Przpadek (fixed-media) at New Music in the Old Town Hall, Gdansk, Poland
Dec 10, 2016 - Laptop improvisation at the Cincinnati Art Museum as part of their Muse concert series
Dec 1, 2016 - Gregory Evans (cello) performs Twitch, for cello and live electronics at the College-Conservatory of Music, Cincinnati. Also performing laptop improv + cello with Gregory.
Nov 6, 2016 - My Metal Bird Can Sing, at the Midwest Composers Symposium, University of Iowa
Oct. 15, 2016 - Przypadek at Electronic Music Midwest, Lewis University
September 14, 2016 - Przypadek at the International Computer Music Conference, Utrecht, Netherlands
June 15, 2016 - Przypadek (fixed-media) and All the moon long... (laptop quartet), at the New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival
February 13, 2016 - Ritus, at the SEAMUS (Society for Electroacoustic Music In the United States) conference, Statesboro, Georgia
March 5, 2016 - Przypadek (fixed-media) at the SCI Snapshot conference, Ball State University
November 20, 2015 - Ritus, at Electronic Music Midwest, Kansas City
June 24, 2015 - Aretha Variations, at the New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival
Nov. 5 , 2014 - Aretha Variations, at Midwest Composers Symposium, University of Cincinnati, CCM
March 21, 2014 - Luna, at New Music Edmonton's Now Hear This festival
November 2, 2013 - Carr Variations, at Sound Sonic, Colchester, UK
Friends, mentors, colleagues:
https://jdmdmusic.com
https://soundcloud.com/karukaru1960
gregoryrowlandevan.wixsite.com/gregoryrowlandevans
http://marahelmuth.com
michaellanci.com
http://www.douglasknehans.com
http://deemstudio.com/en/about/
www.paulposton.info
https://mattrogalsky.bandcamp.com
http://www.haerimseok.com
https://atereszkowski.wordpress.com
Some of my favourite free and/or open source tools:
http://chuck.cs.princeton.edu/
http://lilypond.org/index.html
http://supercollider.github.io/
http://www.geocities.jp/daichi1969/softsynth/
http://spek.cc
