A symphony orchestra performs with a robot conductor

A concert featuring a robotic arm was recently held in Dresden. The robotic arm controlled the symphony orchestra.

Classical music took a leap into the future when the Dresden Symphony Orchestra decided to experiment with unusual forms of leadership. A new conductor, the robotic arm MAiRA, came onto the stage, or rather, rode out. The orchestra’s artistic director said that such a concert was not organized to show that people are easy to replace, but to perform complex music that would most likely be rejected by regular conductors.

The concert was divided into two parts — the first involved only people, and in the second, after the intermission, a robot appeared on stage. The three-armed MAiRA directed the musicians with short lightsabers, each of which had its own color. The ensemble was also divided into three parts, each of which played, corresponding to the swings of a certain lightsaber and creating cross-rhythms.