An evening of talks and performances exploring the intersection between contemporary design and music, New Music New Functionalities examines the work of a series of practitioners breaking new ground within music and sound design. Yuri Suzuki will be joined by the product designer Vahakn Matossian from Human Instruments, a company that produces high-quality musical instruments for people with physical disabilities, and the artist Imogen Piper, whose ‘Encoded Revolt’ is a musical composition derived from the co-ordinates of airstrikes in Syria. The evening will feature a rendition of ‘Encoded Revolt’, as well as a live performance by the celebrated musician John Kelly, a member of the British Paraorchestra. New Music New Functionalities is part of a wider series of performances and talks curated by Yuri Suzuki and the quarterly design journal Disegno to celebrate Suzuki’s Furniture Music exhibition at Stanley Picker Gallery.

Vahakn Matossian is an artist, product designer and musician. Together with his father Rolf Gehlhaar, he runs Human Instruments, a company that produces high-quality musical instruments for people with physical disabilities. Matossian was recently made Ambassador for MIT Innovators Under 35.

Imogen Piper is an artist who seeks to draw parallels between disparate systems, converging the existing rather than fabricating the new. Producing artworks from these untested convergences, she addresses current political issues and wider societal uncertainties. Her process is research-driven and systematic, with outputs varying across film, publication, sculpture, and performance.

Yuri Suzuki is a sound artist, designer, and electronic musician who explores the realms of sound through carefully designed pieces. He looks into the relationship between sound and people, and how music and sound affect their minds. His work in sound, art, and installations has been exhibited all over the world, and his clients include Google, Moog, and Disney.