Thor Magnusson

Thor Magnusson is a Professor of Future Music at the University of Sussex, affiliated with the School of Media, Arts and Humanities and the Department of Music. He is also a Research Professor at the Iceland University of the Arts as part of the ERC-funded Intelligent Instruments project. His work bridges music technology, AI, and live coding, focusing on how digital tools shape musical creativity, performance, and education. Key projects include the MIMIC initiative (machine learning for creative coding) and the Sonic Writing monograph, exploring the philosophical underpinnings of musical technologies.

Research interests span AI-driven instruments, generative systems, live coding environments, and the cognitive science of music. He leads the Experimental Music Technologies Lab and the Intelligent Instruments Lab, collaborating internationally on conferences like NIME and ICMC. Magnusson has pioneered live coding languages (e.g., ixi lang) and developed tools like Sema for machine learning integration in music.

His awards include the Edgard-Varèse Guest Professorship and grants from AHRC and ERC. He actively contributes to editorial boards and organizes events such as the Live Interfaces Conference. Professional activities emphasize bridging academic research with artistic practice, reflected in performances at festivals like Ars Electronica and Transmediale.