MusicSociety & Culture

Orpheus Sounds

Arabella Pare, Magno Caliman

Orpheus Sounds is a podcast from Orpheus Instituut in Gent, a research institution where we explore the making and understanding of music. We bring musicians, researchers, instruments, books, and above all, curiosity to the conversation. We offer exploratory conversations with our researchers, guests, and associates of Orpheus Instituut, discovering together what is so exciting about their work with music and sound.

We offer candid acoustic "snapshots" of our circle of colleagues and friends, discussing the music, the practices and the ideas which shape our views of the world. Everyone here has their own approach, and so we offer an enormous range of ideas and experiences. If it is musical or related to sound, someone here is probably enthusiastically gaining knowledge with, through, and from it! This is artistic research in music: we offer unique perspectives on the questions (and sometimes even the answers) behind the music of the past, the present, and the future.

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11 episodes
Avg 41 min
English

Episodes 11

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S1 · E10
July 6 · 46 min
Yuri Tuma - Radical Slowness
What does it mean to slow down in 2026? How could we connect differently with each other and with our environments? In this episode, we speak to Yuri Tuma, sound researcher, listening artist, and director of the Institute for Post Natural Studies in Madrid about why "post nature" works better as an invitation than a definition, and how active listening can be an act of resistance against pressures of productivity and speed. From our shared imaginations of nature to the frictions involved in creating non-hierarchical spaces, we discuss the ways we can experience the world around us in new ways. - REFERENCES Institute for Postnatural Studies - https://www.instituteforpostnaturalstudies.org/ Donna Haraway - Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staying_with_the_Trouble Tender radio - https://www.instituteforpostnaturalstudies.org/tender-radio Sonic Worldings Conference - https://orpheusinstituut.be/en/events/odc-2026 Sound Arguments - https://orpheusinstituut.be/en/projects/sound-arguments Orpheus Sounds is a series of snapshots of Orpheus Instituut, a research center where we explore the making and understanding of music. https://orpheusinstituut.be podcast@orpheusinstituut.be Made with the support of Wederik de Baecker, Pieter Blomme and Kayo Quintens.
S1 · E9
June 15 · 42 min
Emily Worthington - Resonances of the Past
How can we make contact with the sounds and habits of the nineteenth century? In this episode, we speak to Emily Worthington, co-principal investigator of the research cluster Performance and Embodiment at Orpheus Instituut. She tells us about how playing the clarinet can sometimes involve time-travel and what our bodies can teach us about making music and bringing history to life through musical performance. Working with the legacy of the nineteenth century clarinettist Carl Baermann, Emily's work brings us closer to the ways that people lived and listened nearly 200 years ago. --- REFERENCES https://orpheusinstituut.be/research/researchers/emily-worthington https://baermannsbody.york.ac.uk/ Orpheus Sounds is a series of snapshots of Orpheus Instituut, a research center where we explore the making and understanding of music. https://orpheusinstituut.be podcast@orpheusinstituut.be Made with the support of Wederik de Baecker, Pieter Blomme and Kayo Quintens.
S1 · E8
May 11 · 55 min
Hainbach - Sound on the Moon
On today's episode, we talk to electronic musician and sound artist Hainbach about how to discover amazing sounds in the most unexpected places and from the most unusual sources. Finding the fascination in big dials and knobs and pushing his equipment to the edge of its capabilities (and sometimes beyond), Hainbach introduces us to his site-specific world of exciting new sounds. Join us on a journey to the moon via Berghain and deconsecrated churches. Based out of Berlin, Germany, electronic music composer and sound artist Hainbach creates shifting audio landscapes THE WIRE called "One hell of a trip". He has been fascinated with electronic sounds since he discovered the dial on the radio. Never losing his childhood wonder, he still searches for the sounds in between on uncommon electronic instruments, tape and test equipment, making even the "unmusical musical". Through his YouTube channel Hainbach brings experimental music techniques to a wider audience. He is an award winning film composer, and his compositions for ensembles have been featured at Witten, Gaudeamus and Impulsfestival Halle. His music software and hardware is used by musicians world-wide. He tours regularly, and has taught at Humboldt University, Manchester School of Arts, Hybrid Arts Lab Dresden, MRC Copenhagen, among others. --- REFERENCES During our conversation, Hainbach mentioned several projects where vintage lab equipments are turned into musical instruments. If that is of interest to you, check out the work of Orpheus' researcher Juan Parra Cancino and his free series of listening sessions: https://orpheusinstituut.be/en/projects/an-immersive-journey-through-early-electronic-works-of Also, the mentioned work of Giacinto Scelsi and the Ondioline has been the source of extensive research and musical outputs by Marco Fusi: https://orpheusinstituut.be/en/publications/giacinto-scelsi On the life and work of Pauline Oliveros and Deep Listening: https://paulineoliveros.us/ Orpheus Sounds is a series of snapshots of Orpheus Instituut, a research center where we explore the making and understanding of music. https://orpheusinstituut.be podcast@orpheusinstituut.be Made with the support of Wederik de Baecker, Pieter Blomme and Kayo Quintens.
S1 · E7
April 20 · 35 min
William Texeira - Climate Change and the Cello
Today, we hear from William Texeira, a cellist specialising in the performance of new music. He gives us insights into his work centred on the world's largest wetlands, the Pantanal region of Brazil and the immediacy of ecological crisis. He has just performed at the COP CMS (Conference of Parties, Conservation of Migratory Species) in Campo Grande, Brazil. Our conversation moves from conventional musical performance and the function of the score to finding a balance between political necessities and the dangers of extractionist approaches while working towards musical and social impact and transformation. --- REFERENCES https://www.williamteixeira.com/ https://www.wetlands.org/blog/the-pantanal-building-a-resilient-future/ https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/10/3643 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantin_Stanislavski Orpheus Sounds is a series of snapshots of Orpheus Instituut, a research center where we explore the making and understanding of music. https://orpheusinstituut.be podcast@orpheusinstituut.be Made with the support of Wederik de Baecker, Pieter Blomme and Kayo Quintens.
S1 · E6
March 30 · 34 min
Laura Andraini 2/2 - Paganini and Mars
On today's episode, part two of two, we continue our conversation with Laura Andriani on performing Paganini in a new way. Centuries after Paganini died, our fascination with his presence and impact endures. Precise measurements and musical intuition meet the speculative nature of artistic practice, research in the arts and sciences, and their connections to science fiction - approaching the boundaries of human knowledge and our fascination with the unknown. --- REFERENCES Laura Andriani: https://orpheusinstituut.be/nl/orpheus-research-centre/onderzoekers/laura-andriani Il Canone, Paganini's violin: https://www.museidigenova.it/it/guarneri-del-gesu-violino-di-paganini Life on Mars? https://futurism.com/space/nasa-biological-explanations-rover-mars https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-says-mars-rover-discovered-potential-biosignature-last-year/ Orpheus Sounds is a series of snapshots of Orpheus Instituut, a research center where we explore the making and understanding of music. https://orpheusinstituut.be Made with the support of Wederik de Baecker, Pieter Blomme and Kayo Quintens.
S1 · E5
March 16 · 44 min
Laura Andriani 1/2 - Strings in the Dark
On today's episode, part one of two, we are speaking with violinist Laura Andriani about her work with the nineteenth century composer and virtuoso Paganini and her relationship with the physicality of playing. Performing some of the most difficult repertoire ever written for her instrument, Laura tells us about rediscovering the history of her instrumental technique and the importance of letting go. References: Laura Andriani: https://orpheusinstituut.be/nl/orpheus-research-centre/onderzoekers/laura-andriani Il Canone, Paganini's violin: https://www.museidigenova.it/it/guarneri-del-gesu-violino-di-paganini Crossroads (1986): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090888/ Orpheus Sounds is a series of snapshots of Orpheus Instituut, a research center where we explore the making and understanding of music. https://orpheusinstituut.be Made with the support of Wederik de Baecker, Pieter Blomme and Kayo Quintens.
S1 · E4
February 2 · 42 min
John Chowning Does Not Predict The Future
Today we are speaking with John Chowning and Juan Parra Cancino. Without John Chowning's work on FM Synthesis in the 1970s, music as we know it today would sound very different. Starting with the most well-known (and apparently very heavy) result of his research, the Yamaha DX7 synthesizer, our conversation moves through why the sound of the 80s was defined by "the first button you press" and an explanation of sound synthesis based on Magno's talent for whistling. Speaking with John Chowning is Juan Parra Cancino, our colleague at Orpheus Instituut. Juan is a musician, composer and performer specialising in live electronic music and vintage materialities. John Chowning is a composer and researcher, and taught computer-sound synthesis and composition at Stanford University's Department of Music. In 1974, with John Grey, James (Andy) Moorer, Loren Rush and Leland Smith, he founded the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA), which remains one of the leading centers for computer music and related research. In 2019, he initiated with an international team, a long-term project to recreate, by computer modeling, the acoustics of the Chauvet Cave in France. --- Find out more about Juan's and Johns work: Juan Parra Cancino https://orpheusinstituut.be/en/orpheus-research-centre/researchers/juan-parra-cancino www.juanparrac.com https://www.instagram.com/jotaparra/?hl=en John Chowning https://ccrma.stanford.edu/people/john-chowning --- You can get in touch with us via podcast@orpheusinstituut.be Orpheus Sounds is a series of snapshots of Orpheus Instituut, a research center where we explore the making and understanding of music. https://orpheusinstituut.be Made with the support of Wederik de Baecker, Pieter Blomme and Kayo Quintens.
S1 · E3
Dec 22, 2025 · 21 min
Sound Arguments - An Open Invitation
On today's special episode, our host Magno Caliman presents Sound Arguments, an innovative laboratory-atelier for creative artists and researchers dealing with sound. Magno is one of the coordinators of the series, and registrations are open for the 2026 edition. Sound Arguments is hosted by Orpheus' research cluster Music, Thought and Technology (https://orpheusinstituut.be/en/projects/music-thought-and-technology) and the Academy of Creative and Performing Arts at the University of Leiden (https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/humanities/academy-of-creative-and-performing-arts). --- References Open call for Sound Arguments 2026 - https://orpheusinstituut.be/en/news-and-events/sound-arguments-2026 Sound Arguments Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sound_arguments/ Contact - soundarguments@orpheusinstituut.be World largest tape loop - https://youtu.be/rZptsl2Yq_4?si=pO7q3WPtZpOykrMk ---
S1 · E2
Dec 8, 2025 · 55 min
Ton Koopman - Touching History
Ton Koopman shaped the sound and the intellectual position of the movement to discover how the musicians of the past might have performed the music of their time. Orpheus Instituut is very grateful for the acquisition of the Ton Koopman collection, now integrated into the work of the Resounding Libraries research cluster: https://orpheusinstituut.be/en/projects/resounding-libraries --- References: Charles Burney - A general history of music, from the earliest ages to the present period https://www.loc.gov/item/36034066/ John Hawkins - A general history of the science and practice of music https://www.loc.gov/item/03027652/ Dieterich Buxtehude https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieterich_Buxtehude --- You can get in touch with us via podcast@orpheusinstituut.be Orpheus Sounds is a series of snapshots of Orpheus Instituut, a research center where we explore the making and understanding of music. https://orpheusinstituut.be Made with the support of Wederik de Baecker, Pieter Blomme and Kayo Quintens.
S1 · E1
Dec 8, 2025 · 1 hr 12 min
Alicia Reyes - Music Beyond the Human
Our doctoral researcher Alicia Reyes talks about her work exploring what music means in a world which is not only focussed on humanity. How do we create a more equitable environment, and what can the otherworldly and half-organic shape of plastics formed over decades by the power of the sea bring to a musical and theatrical experience? --- References: Donna Haraway - Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staying_with_the_Trouble Plastigomerates https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastiglomerate 'Plastics of the Mediterranean' https://www.luftmeer-editorial.com/plastics-of-the-mediterranean/ by Matteo Guarnaccia and Teresa Fernández-Pello Heiner Goebbels - Aesthetics of Absence: Texts on Theatre https://www.heinergoebbels.com/heiner-goebbels/texts-by-hg/1568 Matthias Rebstock and David Roesner - Composed Theatre: Aesthetics, Practices, Processes https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/C/bo12313703.html 'Re/Making Plastiglomerates' by Allie E.S. Wist https://alliewist.com/Re-Making-Plastiglomerates Find out more about Alicia's work: https://www.aliciareyes.net/ https://www.instagram.com/hallo.aliciareyes/ --- You can get in touch with us via podcast@orpheusinstituut.be Orpheus Sounds is a series of snapshots of Orpheus Instituut, a research center where we explore the making and understanding of music. https://orpheusinstituut.be Made with the support of Wederik de Baecker, Pieter Blomme and Kayo Quintens.
Dec 8, 2025 · 6 min
Welcome to Orpheus Sounds
Welcome to Orpheus Sounds! We are Magno Caliman and Arabella Pare, and we are excited to introduce this series of snapshots of Orpheus Instituut, a research center where we explore the making and understanding of music. Here, we are going to invite the researchers, colleagues and guests of Orpheus to come and tell us about why they are so passionate about their work. The curtain is rising, and you're invited to join us behind the scenes, to get the inside perspective on what makes music matter, how it works, and why these questions captivate some of the most curious minds in our field: Artistic Research in Music. After the episode, you will hear the material from which all of our signature sounds emerge; an unfiltered impression of Orpheus' sounds. You can find more information about us here: Orpheus Instituut: https://orpheusinstituut.be/en Magno Caliman: https://orpheusinstituut.be/en/orpheus-research-centre/researchers/magno-caliman Music, Thought and Technology research cluster: https://orpheusinstituut.be/en/projects/music-thought-and-technology Arabella Pare: https://orpheusinstituut.be/en/orpheus-research-centre/researchers/arabella-pare Fragment: Accordances - Enactments research cluster: https://orpheusinstituut.be/en/projects/fragment-accordances-enactments You can get in touch with us via podcast@orpheusinstituut.be Made with the support of Wederik de Baecker, Pieter Blomme and Kayo Quintens

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