Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Composer and singer Clarice Assad looked to the future in her new work "The Evolution of AI," completed as part of her 2024 SPCO Sandbox Residency. Written for chamber orchestra and electronics, Assad broke the traditional concert mold and explored the relation between human artistry and the concept of artificial intelligence by assuming the role of a hybridized human-machine reawakening from a past life.
Learn more about our Sandbox Residency at thespco.org/Sandbox.
COMPOSER'S STATEMENT:
"The Evolution of AI" is a contemporary musical composition that delves into the intricate interplay between human artistry and artificial intelligence. The piece invites the listener on a journey that explores and questions the boundaries of creativity and the profound implications of human and artificial intelligence (AI) collaboration. The work is written for chamber orchestra, electronics and a human performer acting as a hybrid human-AI machine inside a musical experiment. It is not the machine's first time around, though. The first movement, titled Reboot, hints at the idea that this hybrid being has existed before. "The Evolution of AI" is four movements, performed without interruption.
I. reboot: The journey begins with the machine's awakening, a process of rebooting its electronic consciousness. This movement serves as the inception of our narrative, embodying the raw energy and unpredictability of a technological rebirth.
II. data collection: As the machine-human hybrid comes to life, it engages in a unique and dynamic dialogue with the chamber orchestra. Gestures and interactions between the performer and the orchestra capture the initial data assimilation, reflecting the intriguing moment when technology and human expression merge.
III. machine learning: The next phase marks the assimilation of vast musical knowledge from Western music repertoire. The machine-human hybrid absorbs, interprets and adapts traditional and contemporary compositions — all while integrating its newfound wisdom into an evolving musical landscape.
IV. creation: The fourth movement, sets the stage for an intriguing finale. As the AI hybrid machine extends its astonishing ability to compose in real-time, it ventures into uncharted territory, producing music with unprecedented speed. Yet, an unexpected twist looms on the horizon. With every note played, the machine's energy depletes, and its survival hangs in the balance. Will its creative brilliance culminate in triumphant innovation or remain a bittersweet enigma? As the music crescendos and the machine's energy dwindles, its final moments echo the unstable and evolving relationship between humanity and artificial intelligence.
THANK YOU:
The co-commission of Clarice Assad’s "The Evolution of AI" is part of New Music USA’s Amplifying Voices program, which fosters collaboration and collective action between US orchestras and composers toward racial and gender equity in classical music. Amplifying Voices is powered by the Sphinx Venture Fund, with additional support from ASCAP, the Sorel Organization, the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, and The Wise Family Charitable Foundation. For more information on the Amplifying Voices program, visit Amplifying Voices – New Music USA. Additional support provided by Elizabeth and Justus Schlichting.
PRODUCTION CREDITS:
Joshua Wyatt, Director and Concert Video Editor
Kailyn Grider, Associate Director
Kierra Lopac, Cameras
JoAnn Babic, Technical Director
Jeffrey Stirling, Video Score Reader
Cameron Wiley, YourClassical MPR, Audio
Matt Thueson, Executive Producer of Digital Media
Erica Beebe, Assistant Producer for Digital Projects and Interview Producer/Editor
Composer and singer Clarice Assad looked to the future in her new work "The Evolution of AI," completed as part of her 2024 SPCO Sandbox Residency. Written for chamber orchestra and electronics, Assad broke the traditional concert mold and explored the relation between human artistry and the concept of artificial intelligence by assuming the role of a hybridized human-machine reawakening from a past life.
Learn more about our Sandbox Residency at thespco.org/Sandbox.
COMPOSER'S STATEMENT:
"The Evolution of AI" is a contemporary musical composition that delves into the intricate interplay between human artistry and artificial intelligence. The piece invites the listener on a journey that explores and questions the boundaries of creativity and the profound implications of human and artificial intelligence (AI) collaboration. The work is written for chamber orchestra, electronics and a human performer acting as a hybrid human-AI machine inside a musical experiment. It is not the machine's first time around, though. The first movement, titled Reboot, hints at the idea that this hybrid being has existed before. "The Evolution of AI" is four movements, performed without interruption.
I. reboot: The journey begins with the machine's awakening, a process of rebooting its electronic consciousness. This movement serves as the inception of our narrative, embodying the raw energy and unpredictability of a technological rebirth.
II. data collection: As the machine-human hybrid comes to life, it engages in a unique and dynamic dialogue with the chamber orchestra. Gestures and interactions between the performer and the orchestra capture the initial data assimilation, reflecting the intriguing moment when technology and human expression merge.
III. machine learning: The next phase marks the assimilation of vast musical knowledge from Western music repertoire. The machine-human hybrid absorbs, interprets and adapts traditional and contemporary compositions — all while integrating its newfound wisdom into an evolving musical landscape.
IV. creation: The fourth movement, sets the stage for an intriguing finale. As the AI hybrid machine extends its astonishing ability to compose in real-time, it ventures into uncharted territory, producing music with unprecedented speed. Yet, an unexpected twist looms on the horizon. With every note played, the machine's energy depletes, and its survival hangs in the balance. Will its creative brilliance culminate in triumphant innovation or remain a bittersweet enigma? As the music crescendos and the machine's energy dwindles, its final moments echo the unstable and evolving relationship between humanity and artificial intelligence.
THANK YOU:
The co-commission of Clarice Assad’s "The Evolution of AI" is part of New Music USA’s Amplifying Voices program, which fosters collaboration and collective action between US orchestras and composers toward racial and gender equity in classical music. Amplifying Voices is powered by the Sphinx Venture Fund, with additional support from ASCAP, the Sorel Organization, the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation, and The Wise Family Charitable Foundation. For more information on the Amplifying Voices program, visit Amplifying Voices – New Music USA. Additional support provided by Elizabeth and Justus Schlichting.
PRODUCTION CREDITS:
Joshua Wyatt, Director and Concert Video Editor
Kailyn Grider, Associate Director
Kierra Lopac, Cameras
JoAnn Babic, Technical Director
Jeffrey Stirling, Video Score Reader
Cameron Wiley, YourClassical MPR, Audio
Matt Thueson, Executive Producer of Digital Media
Erica Beebe, Assistant Producer for Digital Projects and Interview Producer/Editor
