Ben&Stelios@KSYMENov2025

video upload by Schema Musicalis

"Ben Roidl-Ward: bassoon - Stelios Giannoulakis: EMS Synthi100
Free Improvisation at ΚΣΥΜΕ/CMRC, Athens 27 Nov 2025

A frequency-to-voltage converter and two envelope followers allow Ben's bassoon to drive voices from the synth, while Stelios radically adjusts parameters and adds elements with the joysticks, the faders, and the other controls. No other sources or effects were used.

Recognized by the Washington Post as one of the artists “changing the sound of classical music,” Ben Roidl-Ward stands out for his technical and expressive versatility. He is an Associate Professor of Bassoon at the University of Illinois and Principal Bassoonist in three symphony orchestras. He collaborates with the Ensemble Dal Niente and the Lucerne Festival and has participated in over 180 premieres. He studied at Northwestern, Rice, and Oberlin, mentored by prominent bassoonists. On 27 November 2025, together with the Composer Niki Charlafti, Ben visited CMRC to present the project Building Bridges. Stelios Giannoulakis is a Greek composer and engineer playing with modular and circuit-bent devices. While teaching Electroacoustic Composition and Creative Music Technology at ΚΣΥΜΕ, he has been fortunate to become familiar with the historic EMS Synthi100 analog synthesizer.

from the event:
'Tο ΚΣΥΜΕ φιλοξενεί τον Αμερικάνο φαγκοτίστα Ben Roidl-Ward (Assistant Professor of Bassoon at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) και την Ελληνίδα συνθέτρια Νίκη Χαρλάφτη (PhD in Composition and Music Technology, Northwestern University) με το project Building Bridges. Παρουσίαση και συζήτηση πάνω στην δημιουργική και εκπαιδευτική προσέγγιση της ομάδας, εκτέλεση έργων για σόλο φαγκότο των Μηχάλη Παρασκάκη, Στρατή Μηνανάκη και Νίκου Χαριζάνου, αυτοσχεδιασμός με το EMS Synthi100 από τον Ben Roidl-Ward και τον Στέλιο Γιαννουλάκη. Το Building Bridges έχει σκοπό την ανάθεση, εκτέλεση και προώθηση τολμηρών νέων έργων για φαγκότο από Έλληνες συνθέτες σε διεθνές επίπεδο, όπως και την εκπαίδευση και διασύνδεση διαφορετικών ομάδων ακροατών'"

Stelios Giannoulakis on EMS Synthi100 @ ΚΣΥΜΕ: Dipola

video upload by Schema Musicalis

"Presenting my piece Dipola at ΚΣΥΜΕ, Feb 2024. EMS Synthi100 structured improvisation.

https://giannoulakis.bandcamp.com/
https://soundcloud.com/stgiann"

Ludvig Elblaus & Stelios Giannoulakis - EMS Synthi100 at CMRC/ΚΣΥΜΕ

video upload by Schema Musicalis

"Ludvig Elblaus and Stelios Giannoulakis playing the legendary EMS Synthi100 at CMRC/ΚΣΥΜΕ, Athens Conservatoire, 20 December 2023. Improvised performance during Ludvig's residency at ΚΣΥΜΕ. Stelios is using a circuit-bent toy piano as an additional audio and control source for the Synthi100.

https://www.ludvigelblaus.com
https://www.utrumque.com
https://memoromemoro.bandcamp.com

Both an artist and researcher, Ludvig works primarily with computational materials to create acoustic and electronic music, sound art, audiovisual installations, museum exhibits and also makes contributions to larger collaborative works in several traditions (e.g. opera, theatre, and dance). Elblaus holds his PhD in Sound and Music Computing 2018 from the NAVET Center for Art, Technology, and Design, at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology. His latest projects include commissions for the GRM Acousmonium, the Labor Sonor Festival, the Elevate Festival, and performances in Stockholm, Cairo, Vienna, Paris, Zurich and Graz. In 2022 he was composer in residence at the Institute for Electronic Music and Acoustics in Graz. In 2023 he is working in the Moving Loudspeakers Artistic Residency at the Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology at ZHdK. He also teaches at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm.

In addition to his solo work, he has been involved in several long-term collaborative projects. Some notable examples are the electro-acoustic improvisation ensemble The Schematics (with Erik Calälv, Katt Hernandez, and Daniel M. Karlsson), the networked music project End of Text (ETX) (with Luc Döbereiner), a musical composition collaboration with Rune Rebne, and the musical and artistic research duo Utrumque (with Gerhard Eckel)."

MoCM & SchemaMusicalis live on the EMS Synthi100 @ KSYME - Part 2

video upload by Schema Musicalis

"Andreas Monopolis aka MoCM meets Stelios Giannoulakis aka Schema Musicalis for Electroacoustic, Noise and Drone improvisations on the legendary EMS Synthi100. CMRC/ΚΣΥΜΕ, Athens Conservatory, Nov 2023."

Part 1 here (2nd video)

Synthi100 Techno Jam #music #synth #electronicmusic #sounddesign #synthi100

video upload by Schema Musicalis

Also see: MoCM & Schema Musicalis drone improvisation with EMS Synthi 100

"Making beats with the EMS Synthi100 - speeding up to audio rate. CMRC/KSYME, Athens Conservatoire @SchemaMusicalis"

MoCM & Schema Musicalis drone improvisation with EMS Synthi 100

video upload by MOCM (A. Monopolis)

"Andreas Monopolis (MoCM) and Stelios Giannoulakis (Schema Musicalis) caress the mythical EMS Synthi100 synthesiser at KSYME, Athens Conservatory, November 2023

@SchemaMusicalis version:"

Andreas and Stelios playing the EMS Synthi100 @ KSYME

video upload by Schema Musicalis

"Andreas Monopolis aka MoCM meets Stelios Giannoulakis aka Schema Musicalis for Electroacoustic, Noise and Drone improvisations on the legendary EMS Synthi100. CMRC/ΚΣΥΜΕ, Athens Conservatory, Nov 2023."

MoCM & & Schema Musicalis drone Jam @ EMS Synthi 100

video upload by MOCM (A. Monopolis)

"Andreas Monopolis (MoCM) and Stelios Giannoulakis (Schema Musicalis) caress the mythical EMS Synthi100 synthesiser at KSYME, Athens Conservatory, November 2023"