Robert RoweView profile
Professor
Robert Rowe is a Professor of Music Technology at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, and an Affiliated Faculty member at NYU Abu Dhabi. He is a core member of the Music & Audio Research Laboratory (MARL), specializing in interactive music systems, algorithmic composition, and music cognition. His work bridges music technology, computer science, and artistic performance. Bachelor of Music in Music History & Theory (University of Wisconsin, 1976) Master of Arts in Composition (University of Iowa, 1978) Ph.D. in Music and Cognition (MIT Media Lab, 1991) Rowe's research focuses on interactive systems, real-time music processing, and the intersection of music with cognitive science and artificial intelligence. His compositions have been performed globally and are featured on multiple record labels. Key contributions include the books Interactive Music Systems (1993) and Machine Musicianship (2001), which explore computational approaches to music creation and performance. His recent work emphasizes distributed performance systems, emotion recognition in music, and the application of machine learning to interactive composition. Notable projects include Melting the Darkness (2014) and Arcturus (2006), which showcase real-time interaction between performers and computational systems. Awards : First Prize in the Bourges International Electroacoustic Music Competition (1990) Grants : Multiple grants from NYU and external institutions for research in music technology and cognition. Rowe has led initiatives in NYU’s Steinhardt School, including serving as Associate Dean of Research & Doctoral Affairs, and collaborates internationally with institutions like IRCAM (Paris) and the Sweelinck Conservatory (Amsterdam). His lab, MARL, develops cutting-edge tools for music analysis, generation, and performance.











