Torsten Anders

Research & Development Engineer at Aiva Technologies

Sandweiler, Luxembourg, Luxembourg

About

Torsten Anders is a composer, researching and developing software for computer-aided composition with 20+ years of experience in this field. Torsten Anders studied composition at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Weimar (1994-2000, MA in 2000). He studied instrumental composition with Wolfgang von Schweinitz and Michael Obst, as well as electro-acoustic composition with Hans Tutschku, and Robin Minard, among others. Between 2000-2001, Anders worked as a computer programmer in the Music, Mind, Machine research group at the University of Nijmegen (NL). Anders received a PhD in Music (Music Technology) from Queen's University Belfast (UK) in 2007, where he was a member of the Sonic Arts Research Centre. He served as a research fellow at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Computer Music Research, University of Plymouth (UK) in 2007-2010. Anders worked as Senior Lecturer and course leader for music technology at the University of Bedfordshire until 2019, when he joined the Aiva team. Anders' theoretical research focuses on the computational modelling of composition and music theories. He developed the constraint-based composition system Strasheela and various other software. Anders composes instrumental music, multichannel tape pieces and sound installations, which have been performed in several European countries, in America, and the Far East.

Experience

  • Research And Development Engineer at Aiva Technologies
    Mar 2019 - Present · 7 yrs 4 mos

    Developed various backend features of an AI-based algorithmic composition system. E.g., shaped the global form of music; added expressive performance; data crawling and pre-processing for training; and prompt engineering.

  • Senior Lecturer in Music Technology at University of Bedfordshire
    2010 - Feb 2019 · 9 yrs 2 mos

    Course Leader of the degree BA(Hons) Music Technology. Responsible for the design, delivery and management of this course. Research in algorithmic composition.

  • Post-Doctoral Research Fellow In Artificial Intelligence And Music at Plymouth University
    2007 - 2010 · 3 yrs

    Design and implementation of compositional applications that make use of brain imaging data (EEG, fMRI) and related research; Continued development of the constraint-based composition system Strasheela.

  • Computer Programmer at Radboud University Nijmegen
    2000 - 2001 · 1 yr

    Design and implementation of several music software projects (e.g. automatic score transformation for music notation, visualisation of hierarchic musical structures, processing of the result data from rhythm perception experiments into an internet presentation).