Music is in the air. Sounding performances in hybrid and virtual space

Abstract

While physical space is fundamental to any sound's (physical) being – and thus being heard – advancements in technology and COVID pandemic-related limitations to physical travel and meeting in larger crowds prompted debate on how to design hybrid and virtual spaces in which music and sound art can be performed adequately. The question of how to make music together while being located at distant places, as well as issues concerning the integration of a wide-spread audience using telecommunication technologies, is, however, neither completely new nor limited to digital virtuality. Currently termed as ‘telematic’and ‘networked’art works and performances, there exists a quite long history of using distributed sounds and sound related information in order to create artistic settings and performances. For example, listening to live music performances or entertainment programs from a distance was already possible in the transition to the 20th century. Facilitated by Electrophone telespace