A b s t r a c t
Space as an integral aspect of electroacoustic composition and musical structure has been important to my work for many years. In 1999 I began exploring ambisonics in composition, initially as a solution for some practical problems and later as a technique in its own right. This work has lead through many creative avenues, and as technology and knowledge have progressed, so has my use of higher order ambisonics (HOA) within composition. In the IRCAM introduction seminar I will first present extracts and ideas from two recent HOA works: the composition ‘Reality and Secrets II’ and the interactive sound installation ‘The Oslo Sound Space Transport System’. I will then present the work planned for the IRCAM research residence, which addresses the perception of distance in HOA, more generally how the features of HOA can be used in contemporary composition, and the showcasing of these results in a new composition.

B i o g r a p h y
Natasha Barrett is a freelance composer working with music, research and creative uses of sound. Her output spans instrumental and electronic concert composition through to sound-art, sound-architectural installations, interactive techniques and collaboration with experimental designers and scientists. An awareness of auditory perception and sound’s spatio-musical potential features strongly in her work, involving research and practical application of ambisonics, acoustics and 3D sound. Recent projects include the use of scientific data and geological processes in sound-art, exotic amplification and live-electronics and her third installation project with the architect group OCEAN Design Research Association.

Barrett studied in England for masters and doctoral degrees in composition. Both degrees were funded by the humanities section of the British Academy. Since 1999 Norway has been her compositional and research base for an international platform. Barrett’s works are performed and commissioned throughout the world, receiving numerous recognitions, most notably the Nordic Council Music Prize (Norden / Scandinavia, 2006). Works are available on a number of releases including 5.1 SACD and DVD-audio.

For more information: www.natashabarrett.org