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2003 Luigi Russolo Composers Competition

To honor the memory of the futurist composer Luigi Russolo (1885–1947), the Russolo-Pratella Foundation of Varese, Italy organized the 25th edition of the international electroacoustic, analog, and digital music competition. The competition was open to Italian and foreign composers up to the age of 35. The categories were: (A) analog or digital electroacoustic music and (B) electroacoustic music with instruments or voice.

From 22–27 September 2003, the International Jury, presided over by Frank Gian Maffina of the Russolo Pratella Foundation and including Michele Bisasutti (Italy), Philippe Blanchard (France), Jurau Duris (Slovak Republic), Carlo Ferrario (Italy), and Rossana May (Italy), reviewed 93 compositions from Argentina, Austria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Korea, France, Denmark, England, Greece, Mexico, Malaysia, Norway, New Zealand, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and United States.

In Category A: electroacoustic music, the first prize was awarded to Nacho de Paz (Spain) for Ion; second prize to Guillermo Senn (Argentina) for . . .Hasta el aire se rompe; and third prize to Erdem Helvacioglu (Turkey) for Below the cold ocean. Honorable Mentions were awarded to Mario Bajardi (Italy) for Bjm Piano Studio; to Fabrizio Carlone (Italy) for Berceuse pour le feu; and to Stefan Klaverdal (Sweden) for Samtal/ Conversations. Other finalists included Lazzarini Victor (Ireland), Konrad Korabiewski (Poland), Barbara Ellison (Ireland), Pietro Mussino (Italy), Michael Klinbeil (USA), Pippa Murphy (UK), Jesper Nordin (Sweden), and Nicolas Bernier (Canada).

In Category B: electroacoustic music with voice or instruments, first prize was awarded to Ken Ueno (USA) for Zansetsu; second prize to Ryszard Osada (Poland) for Emotion; and third prize to Mathew Adkins (UK) for Still Time. Honorable Mentions were awarded to Martin Stig Andersen (Denmark) for Essential Tree Work, and to Ka-ho Cheung (China) for Ice & Fire Dance. Other finalists included Cristopher Ariza (USA), Samuel Pluta (USA), Rodrigo Sigal (Mexico), and Dai Fujikura (Japan).

A compact disc will be produced with pieces by Nacho de Paz, Guillermo Senn, Erdem Helvacioglu, Ken Ueno, Ryszard Osada, and Mathew Adkins.

Ars Electronica 2003

Ars Electronica was held in Linz Austria on 6–11 September 2003. The subject of this year's festival was "Code, The Language of Our Time."

Three thematic domains, Code = Law, Code = Art, Code = Life, provided a framework for the issues on which this year's festival of art, technology, and society focused: How strong is the socially regulative and normative power of the structures and rules of the game that computer programs and their standards implement and enforce? What possibilities exist to get around them? How do software and digital codes impact the essence and identity of media art as art created out of code, that is, as a generative and processual artform that has developed from and consists of algorithmic and computational processes? To what extent can this be captured and represented by means of conventional, art immanent criteria?

The awards for the Prix Ars Electronica competition were announced on 9 September. Five juries of experts selected the best works in a total of six categories (digital musics, computer animation/visual effects, interactive art, u19 freestyle computing and, as a double category, net vision/ net excellence). The jury for the Digital Musics category consisted of Alain Mongeau (Canada), Markus Schmickler (Germany), Antye Greie Fuchs (Germany), Naut Humon (USA), and David Toop (UK).

The Golden Nica for Digital Musics was awarded to Ami Yoshida, Sachiko M, and Utah Kawasaki/ F.M.N. Sound Factory (Japan) for Astro Twins/Cosmos. White noise, tuning pitches, and a voice more reminiscent of a howl than of singing: these are the ingredients from which the Astro Twins Ami Yoshida and Utah Kawasaki mix their performances. Ami Yoshida, however, is not only one half of the Astro Twins. Under the name of "Cosmos," she also appears on the musical stage together with Sachiko M. Ami Yoshida won the Golden Nica for the Astro Twins and Cosmos double album.

An Award of Distinction in Digital Musics was awarded to Florian Hecker/Mego (Germany/Austria) for Sun Pandämonium. Florian Hecker is a core member of the "mego" label that won a Distinction in 1999. Since 1996, he has left his mark on the style...