Director, Multi-Focus Music Technology Program

Ajay Kapur is the Music Technology Coordinator at California Institute of the Arts. He received an Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in 2007 from University of Victoria combining Computer Science, Electrical
Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Music and Psychology with a focus on Intelligence Music and Media Technology. Ajay graduated with a Bachelor in Science and Engineering Computer Science degree from
Princeton University in 2002. He has been educated by music technology leaders including Dr. Perry R. Cook, Dr. George Tzanetakis, and Dr. Andrew Schloss, combined with mentorship from robotic musical
instrument sculptors Eric Singer and the world famous Trimpin. A musician at heart, trained on Drumset, Tabla, Sitar and other percussion instruments from around the world, Ajay strives to push the technological barrier in order to make new music.

Ajay's work revolves around one queston: "How do you make a computer improvise with a human?" Using the rules set forth by Indian classical tradition, Ajay has strived to build new interfaces for musical
expression by modifying the tabla, dholak and sitar with added microchips and sensor systems, while building robotic musical instruments which can be programmed to perform along with the human
performer.

Ajay is the founder and leader of KarmetiK, an international group of musicians, composers, scientists, engineers, and artists who have come
together to combine traditional Indian Classical music with modern technology. 21st century music for the renaissance audience member,bringing the fields of human-computer interfaces together with robotics and artificial intelligence for space age sonic mosaics. The groups variety of collaborators and members have toured the United States, Canada, India, Singapore, Japan, and parts of Europe.