Panel A: Physiological and Physical Foundations of Creative Systems

This panel explores how artistic and creative systems can be understood through physiological and physical models of perception, cognition, and material interaction. Bringing together perspectives from musicology, artistic research, science, and technology, the discussion addresses the relationship between approaches such as physical modelling, artificial intelligence, and theories of self-organization in contemporary creative practice.

A central focus lies on human listening, embodied perception, and the question of how technological systems relate to the complexity of musical experience. By connecting theoretical reflection with artistic perspectives, the panel examines how creative systems emerge between body, instrument, environment, and computation.

Panelists

Rolf Bader

Alessandro Anatrini

Jakub Sawicki

Moderation: Andreas Möllenkamp

About the Panelists

Rolf Bader studied Systematic Musicology, Physics, Ethnology, and Historic Musicology at the University of Hamburg where he obtained his PhD and Habilitation. He is Professor for Systematic Musicology at the Institute of Systematic Musicology, University of Hamburg since 2007. His major fields of research are Musical Acoustics and Musical Signal Processing, Musical Hardware and Software Development, Music Ethnology, Music Psychology, and Philosophy of Music. He published several books and papers about these topics. He was a visiting scholar at the Center for Computer was also working as a professional musician, composer, and artist, running recording studios, working as a music journalist, leading exhibitions, and running a cinema. He conducted fieldwork as an Ethnomusicologist in Bali, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, China and India since 1999.

Alessandro Anatrini (1983) is a composer, new media artist, and developer with a background in musicology, composition, and electronic music. Completed a M.A. in multimedia composition at HfMT Hamburg and a PhD in artistic research focused on machine learning in adaptive multimedia environments. His work has been presented by Ensemble Intercontemporain, Klangforum Wien, Symphoniker Hamburg and at festivals including Manifeste, HCMF, Impuls, and Blurred Edges. Frequently invited to speak at conferences such as SMC, TENOR, and AIMC. Collaborates with institutions like UdK Berlin and the Digital Stage Foundation. Lecturer on machine learning topics at HfMT since 2018, from 2024 he is Professor of Multimedia at the Conservatorio of Piacenza (Italy).

Jakub Sawicki is a music psychologist and physicist whose research combines aspects of both fields. He studied music at Listaháskóli Íslands University and the Berlin University of the Arts. Alongside his position as organ improviser at Berlin Cathedral, he continued his scientific research and received his Dr. rer. nat. degree from the Technical University of Berlin. He subsequently managed the research project “Synchronization Phenomena Related to Brain and Music (SynProMusic)” at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. His research interests include music perception, modeling of complex systems, and neural dynamics. His latest book, Music Psychology—Balance of Relations, was published by Springer in 2025.