Introduction
David Cope (born May 17, 1941 San Francisco, California) is an American author, composer, scientist, and former professor of music at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His primary area of research involves artificial intelligence and music; he writes programs and algorithms that can analyse existing music and create new compositions in the style of the original input music. He taught a summer Workshop in Algorithmic Computer Music that was open to the public (but not free) as well as a general education course entitled Artificial Intelligence and Music for enrolled UCSC students. Cope is also cofounder and CTO Emeritus of Recombinant Inc, a music technology company.
Inventions
Cope is the inventor of US Patent #7696426 Recombinant Music Composition Algorithm and Method of Using the Same.
Composition
His EMI (Experiments in Musical Intelligence) software has produced works in the style of various composers, some of which have been commercially recorded (Cockrell 2001)—ranging from short pieces to full length operas.
His subsequent Emily Howell program models musical creativity based on the types of creativity outlined by Margaret Boden in her book The Creative Mind: Myths and Mechanisms.
As a composer, Cope's own work has encompassed a variety of styles—from the traditional to the avant-garde—and techniques, such as unconventional manners of playing, experimental musical instrument, and microtonal scales, including a 33-note system of just intonation he developed himself (Cockrell 2001). Most recently, all of his original compositions have been written in collaboration with the computer—based on an input of his earlier works. He seeks a synergy between composer creativity and computer algorithm as his principal creative direction.
Discography
- 1993. Bach by Design. Centaur Records. CRC 2184
- 1997. Classical Music Composed by Computer. Centaur Records. CRC 2329
- 1997. Virtual Mozart. Centaur Records. CRC 2452
- 1999. Towers. Vienna Modern Masters. VMM 2024
- 2003. Virtual Bach. Centaur Records. CRC 2619
- 2009. From Darkness, Light (Emily Howell). Centaur Records. CRC 3023
- 2011. Symphony No. 4. Epoc. B008J5IK78
- 2012. Symphony No. 5. Epoc. B008J5IFD2
- 2012. Symphony No. 9 (Martin Luther King, Jr.) Epoc. B008J5IGCW
- 2012. String Quartets 5 and 6. Epoc. B008O9RZTS
- 2012. Violin Concerto/Viola Concerto. Epoc. B008J5IGRC
- 2012. Cello Concerto/Octet for Strings. Epoc. B008K8VJM2
- 2012. Piano Concerto/Re-Birth/Transcendence. Epoc. B008PYPDUK