$17 Million to shape the future of music
This significant investment of public and private support will redefine the future of music research in Canada by transforming the way musicians compose, listen and perform music.
The Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology (CIRMMT), the Schulich School of Music of McGill University and the Faculty of Music of l鈥橴niversit茅 de Montr茅al are creating a unique interconnected research hub that will quite literally link two exceptional spaces at two of Canada鈥檚 most renowned music schools.
Imagine a new space and community 鈥�. where musicians, scientists and engineers join forces to gain a better understanding of the influence that music can have on the physical, psychological and even neurological well-being of individuals; 鈥� where you can experience the acoustics of an 18th century Viennese concert hall created with the touch of a fingertip; or where you can attend an orchestral performance in one concert hall but hear and see musicians performing in a completely different venue across town. All this and more will soon become possible here in Montreal!
Remarkable public and private investment
The combination of public and private gifts will broaden our musical horizons exponentially thanks to significant investment for music research in Canada.听 With over $14.5 million in grants from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), the Government of Quebec and the Fonds de Recherche du Qu茅bec (FRQ), and a substantial contribution of an additional $2.5million gift from private philanthropy.
鈥淲e are grateful for this exceptional investment in music research from both the federal and provincial governments and from our generous donors,鈥� says McGill Principal Suzanne Fortier. 鈥淭his will further the collaboration between these two outstanding music schools and support the training of the next generation of music researchers and artists. For anyone who loves music, this is very exciting news.鈥�
New channels and spaces to advance music research
Digital channels coupling McGill University鈥檚 Music Multimedia Room (MMR - a large, sound-isolated performance lab) and l鈥橴niversit茅 de Montr茅al鈥檚 Salle Claude Champagne (a superb concert hall) will transform these two exceptional spaces into the world's leading research facility for the scientific study of live performance, the movement of recorded sound in space, and distributed performance (where musicians in different locations perform together).
鈥淭he interaction between scientific/technological research and artistic practice is one of the most fruitful avenues for future developments in both fields. This remarkable investment in music research is a wonderful recognition of the important contributions of the arts to Canadian society鈥�, says Sean Ferguson, Dean of Schulich School of Music听
