Malmö Symphony Orchestra Premieres Cello Concerto Performed by Robot

Jacob Mühlrad's new work explores the ways in which robotics might be able to supplement human creativity

Sweden's Malmö Symphony Orchestra recently gave the premiere performance of Veer (bot), a new cello concerto by the Swedish composer Jacob Mühlrad. The featured soloist is what Mühlrad calls a robot-cello, which is played by industrial robotic arms and augmented by a number of 3D-printed components.

The robot was designed by Fredrik Gran, another Swedish composer, whose work explores the musical potential of mechanical processes. Both Gran and Mühlrad see the use of robotics in performance as an extension of the electro-acoustic techniques pioneered by avant-garde composers in the middle of the twentieth century.

Mühlrad emphasizes that his work with robotics is designed to supplement human creativity and extend its boundaries — and he does not feel that robots are capable of what a human being can offer in a concert.

Mühlrad's work has been performed at major concert venues in Sweden, as well as Carnegie Hall in New York, and Bamberg Hall in Germany. His music crosses genres effortlessly, and he has collaborated with artists including Martin Fröst and Johannes Rostamo — as well as pop music collaborators, such as Swedish House Mafia and the rap artist Silvana Imam.

"Thank you Malmö Symphony Orchestra and all participants for creating something I will carry with me for the rest of my life," Mühlrad wrote on social media. "As a composer, writing all the notes on a piece of paper for every part to be played feels like crafting a script for a play. When the actors bring that script to life, it’s the same sensation I experience as a composer when musicians (and robots) bring my musical script to life. It’s a feeling that is truly indescribable."

You can hear excerpts from the work below.