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NIME'03 is the third event in the NIME series, after the initial NIME workshop at the 2001 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems CHI 2001, held at Seattle, WA, and the first international conference NIME'02 International Conference held last year at the MediaLab Europe, in Dublin, Ireland.

Where

NIME'03 will keep up with NIME'01 and NIME'02 spirit and will be hosted this year by the Faculty of Music, at McGill University, in the cosmopolitan and culturally exciting city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

When

From May 22 to May 24, 2003, the conference will be a three full-day event with research papers, demos and performances representative of the state-of-the-art concerning new interfaces for musical expression.

Goal

The main goal of the NIME'03 conference is to blend high-level scientific and technological research on the development of new interfaces for musical expression and high-level artistic performances using such interfaces.

For this purpose, one of our main concerns in designing NIME'03 was to insist on exploring the importance of previous works on interfaces for musical expression.

Keynotes speakers

This was the main force behind the choice of the invited speakers for this year's conference: the three keynote speakers are internationally known in this domain and each has substantially contributed to the development in this area:

•Michel Waisvisz from STEIM, The Netherlands

•Claude Cadoz from ACROE, France

•Joe Paradiso, from the MIT MediaLab, USA.

Papers, Reports, Posters and Demos

On the scientific side, this year's NIME had an impressive list of reviewers among the most important experts in this area worldwide. Actually, NIME'03 reviewers came from North and South America, Europe, Japan and Australia and reflect the various trends in this domain. The paper selection process was headed by Philippe Depalle (McGill University).

Concerts

Concerts will be presented at the end of each conference day, where the state-of-the art on new interfaces will be shown in a musical setting. The first concert will feature an invited performance of the Wireless Duo performing their score on the screening of the silent movie masterpiece Faust, by F. W. Murnau (1926). Mark Goldstein and Dennis James will use alternate controllers such as the Buchla Lightning and the Theremin to create the sounds that accompany the movie. The concert will take place in McGill's Redpath Hall, a former chapel whose architecture will help create the atmosphere for Murnau's Faust!

The second and third concerts will feature selected performances submitted to the NIME03 artistic committee, headed by Joseph Butch Rovan (University of North Texas) and will be performed in McGill's Pollack Hall.

Apart from the paper sessions and concerts, NIME03 will innovate on the format of the conference. We have designed this year's conference to optimize discussion, so that formal paper and report sessions will end early in the afternoons, leaving space for posters, demonstrations and workshops. It is our goal that after the formal sessions (always single-track), delegates and artists will have the opportunity to discuss their own works and learn from each other's experiences.

Guests

Another innovation is reflected through the various guest presenters to NIME03. They include some of the most representative artists and researchers in this area that will be presenting and discussing their works during the conference:

•Max Mathews presenting the new Radio Baton design, Jana Saleh and Richard Boulanger performing two of Boulanger's recent real-time multi-media pieces "StarDust" and "DarkMatter";

•Tomie Hahn and Curtis Bahn presenting "Pikapika";

•alcides lanza, director of McGill Electronic Music Studio (EMS), giving a special multi-media talk on Hugh Le Caine and on some of the electronic instruments he developed in the 50's and 60's. In fact, Le Caine worked at McGill's EMS in the 60's and Prof. lanza had the opportunity to use some of his instruments on his own compositions.

•Garth Paine presenting his performance "Organic Serendipity".

STEIM Workshops

Finally, the Dutch Institute STEIM will be the guest institution in NIME03. Apart from Michel's keynote address closing the conference on Saturday, STEIM will be presenting two workshops: the first one on various sensors, the new SensorLab interface and the software LiSa by Frank Baldé (Thursday and Friday afternoons) and the second one, "Ensemble", with 7 active garments, by Kristina Andersen.

NIME03 in a Snapshot

•Three invited speakers: Michel Waisvisz (STEIM, NL), Claude Cadoz (ACROE- ICA, France), and Joe Paradiso (MIT Media Laboratory, USA).

•Research and development papers and reports in 9 single-track sessions, plus one poster session.

•Demonstrations of controllers, software and technologies for musical expression on Friday and Saturday afternoon.

•Three evening concerts featuring pieces for new interfaces.

•Invited demonstrations, installations and short concerts by outstanding guests.

•Workshops given by STEIM, the Dutch Institution that has been in the forefront of developments related to gestural controllers for the last three decades.

I am sure that NIME03 will be a unique opportunity to learn the latest developments on the area of new interfaces for musical expression and to exchange information.