As part of the High-Tech Agenda Bavaria, the art colleges have also been allocated specially equipped "HTA professorships". The HfM is investing one of its two HTA professorships in a joint research project with the THWS, focussing on the observation and measurement of processes related to interpretation and creativity. One of the aims is to promote and further develop musical creativity, interpretation and improvisation concepts in connection with the organ. Artificial intelligence methods will be used, among other things.
Utilisation of findings on these phenomena for artificial intelligence and robotics
Dr Hannes Ritschel, who has expertise as both a computer scientist with a doctorate and an organist, has been appointed to the professorship at the HfM Würzburg with effect from 1 October 2023.
The digitally controllable concert organ from Orgelbau Klais, Bonn, in the Great Hall of the University of Music serves as a mechanical and digital interface between people and technology. The hall organ is currently being upgraded to a "hyper organ", making it one of currently six organs worldwide to have the status of an instrument that is both historically designed and equipped with the latest technology.
The project is receiving scientific and creative support from a panel of experts from the two universities: Prof. Dr Christoph Bossert (HfM Würzburg, organ and church music), Prof. Dr Robert Grebner (President of THWS, AI expert), Philipp Klais (owner of the Klais organ building company, Bonn), Prof. Dr Frank-Michael Schleif (organ builder, Bonn), Prof. Dr Frank-Michael Schleif (Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, Deputy Head of CAIRO), Prof. Dr Hannes Ritschel (Organ Art - Creativity Concepts - AI), Prof. Dr Christoph Wünsch (President of the Würzburg University of Music, Prof. em. Music Theory).
The project is initially set to run for four years; the initial meeting of the committee was held on 9 November 2023.