Electrifying Opera: Amplifying agency for opera singers improvising with interactive audio technology

This research project examines the technical, physical and pedagogical challenges that opera singers face in relation to the use of interactive audio processing technology in opera. It investigates acoustic and aesthetic conflicts between opera and electroacoustic music, explores reasons why opera singers have been slower than classically trained instrumentalists to embrace new technologies, and asks what types of sound design and interactive systems might reduce some of the barriers opera singers encounter in relation to the innovations of the digital revolution. The primary question driving this research is the following: What technical and aesthetic issues need to be addressed so that opera singers can incorporate the use of audio processing technology and improvisation in their performance practice?