Ron Pellegrino

Ron Pellegrino with students after a concert at Michigan Tech University discussing the deflection/projection side of his music-driven performance laser animation system.

A pioneer and leading exponent of emergent music, visual music, performance-multimedia, and music with affordable emerging technology since 1967.
His work is equally at home in art, research, corporate, and academic settings.
In an unbroken progression since 1967, his performances, compositions, and public presentations incorporate the latest affordable multimedia tools in the arts, communication, and education.
His highly diverse output is rooted in a longstanding interdisciplinary approach to music, science, technology, the visual arts, and philosophy.
He is the author of three major groundbreaking books:
1. Emergent Music And Visual Music: Inside Studies (Electronic Arts Productions, 2009), the first published book on the integrated natures of algorithmic composition and visual music (the book is Part One of a project that also includes, as Part Two: The DVDs, a set of 4 DVDs with videos that illustrate the principles covered in the book, and Part Three: The CDs, a sequence of individual CDs that illustrate compositional principles of emergent music;
2. The Electronic Arts of Sound and Light (Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1983), the first published book on integrated electronic media in the arts (CDs of Music for the Book are available for the first time in 2009);
3. An Electronic Studio Manual (Ohio State University College of the Arts, 1969), the first published instructional book on the modern music synthesizer (became the worldwide instructional source for the then revolutionary Moog Synthesizer). During the 1980s and 1990s, writing and teaching vehicles integrated a combination of artist-in-residencies, the web site (a living ebook and a very early form of the blog), and targeted online discussion groups. The 2000s have been focused on the internet and the production of CDs, DVDs, and new books on emergent music and visual music.
Presented over 1,000 public performance-multimedia events at art museums, science museums, cultural centers, and universities in North America, Europe, and South America with funding from local artist series, the US State Department, National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, the Ford Foundation, state agencies, private agencies, and special endowments.
An audio activist since 1970 with a focus on professional and public consciousness-raising to set and achieve high audio performance standards for music recording and electronically reinforced music in public venues.
Formal education includes: Ph.D. in music composition, theory, and philosophy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1968; M.M. in music composition and theory from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1965; B.M. in music composition, theory, and philosophy from Lawrence University in 1958; ongoing research is conducted in the studios of Electronic Arts Productions and at seminars, workshops, presentations, expositions, and events covering emerging technology in the arts, communications, and education.
Former faculty member of The University of Wisconsin, The Ohio State University, Oberlin College, Miami University, Texas Tech University, California State University-Sonoma, and Western Carolina University with teaching responsibilities in the departments of music, physics, computer science, art, and education as well as administrative responsibilities in the design, implementation, and educative function of electronic arts facilities.
Early development as a composer was strongly influenced by his studies with master teachers such as René Leibowitz, student of Ravel and Webern; Rudolf Kolisch, student of Arnold Schoenberg; James Ming, student of Nadia Boulanger; and Robert Crane, student of Howard Hanson.

Ron Pellegrino, whale-watching off Maui
with his daughter, Lisa, to whom the Emergent Music And Visual Music: Inside Studies project is dedicated.

What critics and professionals are saying.

A history of Pellegrino's involvement with visual music.

Purchase information for books, CDs, and DVDs of Electronic Arts Productions

Booking information and comments.