Date & Time: Μonday, 17/03/2025, 17:00
Guest Speaker: Penelope Bekiari, University of Athens (UoA)
Hosted within: Art Research Methods
Coordination: Emmanouel Rovithis
More about the presentation:
The upcoming presentation explores the intersection of biomusic, electroacoustic composition, and affective technology, focusing on how sonified physiological data (brainwaves, heart rate, galvanic skin response) can shape immersive and interactive sound experiences.
Key Themes of the presentation are:
1.Biomusic & Sonification of Physiological Data
How biological signals (EEG, HR, GSR) are converted into sound.
The role of biofeedback in music composition and performance.
2. Affective Technology & Human-Computer Interaction
How sound can respond dynamically to cognitive and emotional states.
The use of neuroscientific and sensor-based technologies to create interactive soundscapes.
3. Acoustic Ecology & Perception of Soundscapes
How the surrounding sonic environment influences the perception of bio-sonified data.
The impact of spatialized sound and soundscape composition on emotional and cognitive responses.
More about the guest speaker:
Penelope Bekiari is a sound artist and researcher exploring the dynamic relationship between sound and the human body. Her work focuses on biomusic, electroacoustic composition, brainwave sonification, and immersive soundscapes, integrating biofeedback, EEG-controlled sound, and interactive systems into live performances, theatre, and multimedia installations. She is currently a PhD candidate at the Department of Digital Arts and Cinema at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) under the supervision of Dr. Orestis Karamanlis. She holds a Master’s degree in Electroacoustic Composition and Interactive Media from the University of Manchester (Distinction, 2022) and a Master’s in Music Technology and Contemporary Practices from NKUA (Distinction, 2023). She also studied Theatre at NKUA and Music Production at SAE Institute, Athens.
Her compositions and research have been presented at international festivals and conferences, including Ultima (Oslo Contemporary Music Festival), EASTN-DC (Cardiff), MANTIS (University of Manchester), CIME/ICEM (Montpellier), Spatial Audio Gathering (De Montfort University, Leicester), SMC (Porto), MA/IN Festival (Rome), the Institute for Data Science (Manchester), the Greek National Opera (Athens), and the Athens Concert Hall. In 2024, she was an Artist-in-Residence at the Greek National Opera as part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, funded by the European Commission – Next Generation EU. Her recent works include "Rhoē: Wavelets & Rustle," a bioresponsive electroacoustic piece for cello and EEG sonification, performed at the Athens Concert Hall (2024), and "Neural Narratives," a real-time sonification experiment in theatre, presented at the Spatial Audio Gathering (Leicester, UK, 2024). She has also presented "Glass Animals," an acoustic composition inspired by The Glass Menagerie, at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (2024), and "Biosensors in Immersive Music Performance: Andromeda for Flute and Biofeedback," at SMC Porto (2024). Additionally, her work was selected for the Listening Room at the ‘Immersive Festival’ (Lisboa Incomum, Lisbon, Portugal, 2024). As a lecturer, she teaches Music Technology and Electroacoustic Composition at Metropolitan College (in partnership with the University of East London) and has given lectures at NKUA. She has also supervised undergraduate students at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, leading composition projects related to sound ecology.Beyond electroacoustic music, she has composed for several theatre plays and films. Her research continuously pushes the boundaries between art, neuroscience, and technology, creating immersive, interactive soundscapes that challenge traditional performance paradigms and explore the deep connections between sound, perception, and the human body.
For more information about the speaker visit: https://www.penelopebekiari.info/
Event's language: English
Contact: emrovithis@ionio.gr
