University of Music and Performing Arts Graz (Kunstuniversität Graz, KUG), Institute of Electronic Music and Acoustics (IEM)

The IEM (Institute of Electronic Music and Acoustics) was founded in 1965 and it is part of the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz (Kunstuniversität Graz). It is a leading institution in its field, with more than 35 staff members of researchers and artists. Research and development include the fields of artistic research, computer music, signal processing and acoustics. It strongly supports open source software, amongst other by contributing to the development of PureData, SuperCollider and its own series of VST Plug-ins. IEM offers education in composition in computer music and sound art, sound engineering, sound design, contemporary music performance, and musicology. It is well connected to the University of Technology, the University of Graz as well as to the University of Applied Sciences Joanneum through three joint study. Amongst other it offers Bachelor and Master degrees in “Computer Music and Sound Art” and doctoral programs in the field of Artistic Research (Dr. art.), humanities and science (Ph.D.). IEM’s infrastructure includes three studios with ambisonic speaker hemispheres, two high precision tracking systems, a Robot Piano Player and three IKO loudspeakers (a 3D audio speaker with 20 membranes in a spheric constellation driven by HOA) as well as other multidirectional loudspeakers developed by the institute. IEM also plays an important role in the promotion of electronic music in Austria, through various concert and lecture series (Open CUBE, Signale Graz, CUBE Lectures etc.) and its “IEM Artist-in-Residence” and “IEM Artistic Researcher-in-Residence” program.