1987-1990 Initial VO experiments during doctoral research at College-Conservatory of Music, Cincinnati
Iphegenia en Tauride 19901990 First professional implementation
The Wizard of Oz Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park1991 Bianchi and Smith, Virtual Orchestras for the Performing Arts formed
http://www.frederickbianchi.com/Virtual Orchestra.html1995-1996 First mainstage Opera using tempo-flexible VO technologies:
Hänsel und Gretel, Kentucky Opera (two seasons) Review, Washington Post “Fairy tale opera or musician’s nightmare?”1998 Gestural Control Research with Lucent Technologies
1999 Telecom 99. Collaboration with Lucent Technologies
Visual Gestural Recognition systems used to control B&S Virtual Orchestra Designed an immersive 320-Speaker environment Performance in Geneva with Natalie Cole, Produced by Phil Ramone, conducted by John Barry and with Orchestra de la Suisse Romande1999 Realtime Music Solutions LLC founded (http://www.rms.biz)
Founding Partner, Principle Inventor and Director of Research and Development RMS has provided virtual orchestra systems for hundreds-of-thousands of performances around the world Clients include: Cirque du Soleile (Ka, La Reve, Love, Varekai) Cameron Mackintosh Inc (Les Miserables, West End, Miss Saigon (National Tour) Music Theatre International Rogers and Hammerstein, Inc. Leonard Bernstein Foundation (West Side Story National Tour) Gershwin (Porgy and Bess World Tour) Boosey and Hawkes (Simulations of legacy synthesizers for works of John Adams and Steve Reich)2000 Evita (NYC College of Technology)
Experiential and experimental, student-staffed virtual orchestra project New York Times article: “What’s next: digitally-sampled sounds are filling out some orchestra pits”2003 Die Zauberflöte (NYC College of Technology and Opera Company of Brooklyn)
Virtual Orchestra Collaboration with Entertainment Technology Department, Opera Company of Brooklyn creates international controversy New York Times Article: Board Members Quit over Opera Troupe’s Virtual Orchestra New York Times Review: A Magic Flute on Stage with Invisible Instruments in the Pit2004 US Patent 6696631, Great Britain Patent GB2392545
NY times article: 2004-05-312004 Partnership with Music Theatre International
Creation of OrchExtra® system2004 Partnership with Cameron MacIntosh Productions
Les Miserables, London West End (2004-2011) Miss Saigon, US National Tour Miss Saigon, UK National tour2004 Le Nozze di Figaro (NYC College of Technology and Opera Company of Brooklyn)
Experiential student-staffed and designed (with exception of sound which was me) collaboration using a 10 piece acoustic orchestra and Sinfonia technology to provide the other 22 instruments2005 Partnership with Cirque du Soleil (four productions)
Ka La Nouba Varekai Love http://www.lightingandsoundamerica.com/Love.pdf (see page 61 column 2)2007 Partnership with Rogers and Hammerstein
Two new products to enhance and support live performances of classic musicals2012 Partnership with Boosey & Hawkes
Provides digital software to perform electronic elements to works2012 Partnership with Bernstein Foundation
Westside Story National Tour 2012-14 Troika Productions