From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today

Picture of a book. The cover is white with orange lines, on it the lettering »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«

In the late 70s, an interdisciplinary team led by the composer Iannis Xenakis developed the compositional tool UPIC out of an effort to transform drawings into synthesized sound.

Together with the Centre Iannis Xenakis, the ZKM is now addressing for the first time the genesis of this unique computational instrument and traces its technical, social, institutional, and educational significance up to the current practice of contemporary composers who work with the idea of UPIC in current computer programs.

The volume with 27 richly illustrated contributions is published by Hatje Cantz. It is available both there and through the ZKM Bookshop as a print publication. In addition, it is published in its entirety as an open access version and available free of charge. On this page, the digital version is available for download as PDF, as well as audio samples and additional archive material not included in the print publication are accessible.

From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today

The digital version is available for download as PDF

Download

»Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«, herausgegeben von Peter Weibel, Ludger Brümmer und Sharon Kanach

»The UPIC is a revolutionary composition device; a music machine that enables sounds to be generated directly via self-designed graphic structures.«

Peter Weibel

Dimitris Kamarotos, KSYME: UPIC in Greece – ten years of living and creating with the UPIC at KSYME
Additional image material for this article from the KSYME (CMRC) ― ChouPaF Unified Archives and Dimitris Kamarotos Archive

UPIC in Greece

Open Gallery
  • A scanned document with a list of names as part of the publication »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
    Participants page from the Mycenae Polytope Program © Dimitris Kamarotos Archive
  • A scanned newspaper article as part of the publication »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
    Official inauguration of KSYME from the press © Dimitris Kamarotos Archive
  • A scanned invitation to the KSYME opening with program items as part of the publication »From Xenakis's UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
    Invitation for the opening of KSYME with program notes 1. About the KSYME – Cmrc, 2. Acquaintance with UPIC, with Carmello Cappiello and Andreas Stafylopatis, technical assistants of the French and the Greek UPIC teams, 3. »Mycènes Alpha« by Iannis Xenakis, a composition using UPIC © KSYME (CMRC) – ChouPaF Unified Archives
  • A scanned manual as part of the publication »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
    The first Greek manual of UPIC by Andreas Stafylopatis, September 1986 © Andreas Stafylopatis Archive
  • A scanned newspaper article as part of the publication »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
    Typical press coverage about UPIC capabilities, titled: »Music without … instruments« with reference to: »a tool absolutely friendly even to elementary school students, enabling them to approach music …«, Eleftheros Typos newspaper, April 24, 1986 © KSYME (CMRC) – ChouPaF Unified Archives
  • A scanned newspaper article as part of the publication »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
    Author working with T. Hauksson »A night dedicated to composer Thorstein Hauksson« invited by KSYME, Kathimerini newspaper, November 19, 1987 © KSYME (CMRC) – ChouPaF Unified Archives
  • A scanned newspaper article as part of the publication »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
    Daniel Kienzy invited to KSYME for a workshop and concert »Wind instruments in contemporary music« / Mesimvrini newspaper, December 1987 © KSYME (CMRC) – ChouPaF Unified Archives
  • A scanned document with concert program as part of the publication »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
    Program from a concert at the Athenaeum Conservatory in 1990 with the KSYME – ensemble »PROS« © KSYME (CMRC) – ChouPaF Unified Archives
  • A scanned letter by Iannis Xenakis as part of the publication »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
    A letter from Iannis Xenakis to M. P. Theoharis (National Secretary for Research and Technology) congratulating the approval of the HXE research program of KSYME and affirming his support of it, 1992 © Dimitris Kamarotos Archive and Iannis Xenakis Family
  • A scanned newspaper articles from May 1992 as part of the publication »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
    Press-clippings from newspapers in May 1992 announcing the new research program (HXE) of KSYME, the first Sound Map of Greece © KSYME (CMRC) – ChouPaF Unified Archives
  • Iannis Xenakis with Giorgos Papandreou, as v. Minister of Cultural Affairs announcing new courses with UPIC for young students.
    Iannis Xenakis with Giorgos Papandreou as v. Minister of Cultural Affairs announcing new courses with UPIC for young students, Vradini newspaper, December 6, 1986 © KSYME (CMRC) – ChouPaF Unified archives
  • Greek newspaper article about a new UPIC project in black and white
    Press coverage of the new project for UPIC Courses for 5,000 students (10–15 years old), Ethnos newspaper December 6, 1986 © KSYME (CMRC) – ChouPaF Unified archives
  • Invitation letter written on greek saying: Throughout the year, on the first Tuesday of every month…” the group proposes multimedia installations, with UPIC created material, 1989
    Invitation ‘Endiamesos Xoros’ at Ileana Tounta Gallery »Throughout the year, on the first Tuesday of every month…« the group proposes multimedia installations with UPIC created material, 1989 © Archive Dimitris Kamarotos
  • View into the "new upic system" abstracht: This paper briefly describes the main features of the new Upic system that will be demonstrated during the conference, The system is based on a AT 386 microcomputer connected to a real-time synthesis unit.
    Abstract for the new UPIC Glasgow Proceedings, p 249–252, published in ICMC 1990 © Dimitris Kamarotos Archive
  • News clip on the presence of IX in Patra’s International Festival, the Xenakis Ensemble and the activities of KSYME during the festival, Jul. 1987
    The Xenakis Ensemble and the activities of KSYME during the festival News clip on the presence of IX in Patra's International Festival, July 1987 © KSYME (CMRC) - ChouPaF Unified archives
  • The concert program, which took place on Dec. 2, 1986, in the French Institute of Athens, in IX’s presence
    Concert program of December 2, 1986 in the French Institute of Athens, in Iannis Xenakis's presence © Dimitris Kamarotos Archive
  • Letter to CEMAMu (Nov. 1986) in French, after the first six months of operation of UPIC KSYME lab, signed by S. Vassiliadis
    Letter to CEMAMu signed by S. Vassiliadis written in French after the first six months of operation of UPIC KSYME lab, November 1986 © Andreas Stafylopatis Archive
  • A letter, in Greek, by Andreas Stafylopatis, addressed much later (1994) to Stefanos Vassiliadis on the subject of acquiring the new UPIC, referring also to the previous letter
    A letter in Greek by Andreas Stafylopatis addressed to Stefanos Vassiliadis on the subject of acquiring the new UPIC, 1994 © Andreas Stafylopatis Archive

UPIC in Greece

Overview
  • A scanned document with a list of names as part of the publication »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
    Participants page from the Mycenae Polytope Program © Dimitris Kamarotos Archive
  • A scanned newspaper article as part of the publication »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
    Official inauguration of KSYME from the press © Dimitris Kamarotos Archive
  • A scanned invitation to the KSYME opening with program items as part of the publication »From Xenakis's UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
    Invitation for the opening of KSYME with program notes 1. About the KSYME – Cmrc, 2. Acquaintance with UPIC, with Carmello Cappiello and Andreas Stafylopatis, technical assistants of the French and the Greek UPIC teams, 3. »Mycènes Alpha« by Iannis Xenakis, a composition using UPIC © KSYME (CMRC) – ChouPaF Unified Archives
  • A scanned manual as part of the publication »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
    The first Greek manual of UPIC by Andreas Stafylopatis, September 1986 © Andreas Stafylopatis Archive
  • A scanned newspaper article as part of the publication »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
    Typical press coverage about UPIC capabilities, titled: »Music without … instruments« with reference to: »a tool absolutely friendly even to elementary school students, enabling them to approach music …«, Eleftheros Typos newspaper, April 24, 1986 © KSYME (CMRC) – ChouPaF Unified Archives
  • A scanned newspaper article as part of the publication »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
    Author working with T. Hauksson »A night dedicated to composer Thorstein Hauksson« invited by KSYME, Kathimerini newspaper, November 19, 1987 © KSYME (CMRC) – ChouPaF Unified Archives
  • A scanned newspaper article as part of the publication »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
    Daniel Kienzy invited to KSYME for a workshop and concert »Wind instruments in contemporary music« / Mesimvrini newspaper, December 1987 © KSYME (CMRC) – ChouPaF Unified Archives
  • A scanned document with concert program as part of the publication »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
    Program from a concert at the Athenaeum Conservatory in 1990 with the KSYME – ensemble »PROS« © KSYME (CMRC) – ChouPaF Unified Archives
  • A scanned letter by Iannis Xenakis as part of the publication »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
    A letter from Iannis Xenakis to M. P. Theoharis (National Secretary for Research and Technology) congratulating the approval of the HXE research program of KSYME and affirming his support of it, 1992 © Dimitris Kamarotos Archive and Iannis Xenakis Family
  • A scanned newspaper articles from May 1992 as part of the publication »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
    Press-clippings from newspapers in May 1992 announcing the new research program (HXE) of KSYME, the first Sound Map of Greece © KSYME (CMRC) – ChouPaF Unified Archives
  • Iannis Xenakis with Giorgos Papandreou, as v. Minister of Cultural Affairs announcing new courses with UPIC for young students.
    Iannis Xenakis with Giorgos Papandreou as v. Minister of Cultural Affairs announcing new courses with UPIC for young students, Vradini newspaper, December 6, 1986 © KSYME (CMRC) – ChouPaF Unified archives
  • Greek newspaper article about a new UPIC project in black and white
    Press coverage of the new project for UPIC Courses for 5,000 students (10–15 years old), Ethnos newspaper December 6, 1986 © KSYME (CMRC) – ChouPaF Unified archives
  • Invitation letter written on greek saying: Throughout the year, on the first Tuesday of every month…” the group proposes multimedia installations, with UPIC created material, 1989
    Invitation ‘Endiamesos Xoros’ at Ileana Tounta Gallery »Throughout the year, on the first Tuesday of every month…« the group proposes multimedia installations with UPIC created material, 1989 © Archive Dimitris Kamarotos
  • View into the "new upic system" abstracht: This paper briefly describes the main features of the new Upic system that will be demonstrated during the conference, The system is based on a AT 386 microcomputer connected to a real-time synthesis unit.
    Abstract for the new UPIC Glasgow Proceedings, p 249–252, published in ICMC 1990 © Dimitris Kamarotos Archive
  • News clip on the presence of IX in Patra’s International Festival, the Xenakis Ensemble and the activities of KSYME during the festival, Jul. 1987
    The Xenakis Ensemble and the activities of KSYME during the festival News clip on the presence of IX in Patra's International Festival, July 1987 © KSYME (CMRC) - ChouPaF Unified archives
  • The concert program, which took place on Dec. 2, 1986, in the French Institute of Athens, in IX’s presence
    Concert program of December 2, 1986 in the French Institute of Athens, in Iannis Xenakis's presence © Dimitris Kamarotos Archive
  • Letter to CEMAMu (Nov. 1986) in French, after the first six months of operation of UPIC KSYME lab, signed by S. Vassiliadis
    Letter to CEMAMu signed by S. Vassiliadis written in French after the first six months of operation of UPIC KSYME lab, November 1986 © Andreas Stafylopatis Archive
  • A letter, in Greek, by Andreas Stafylopatis, addressed much later (1994) to Stefanos Vassiliadis on the subject of acquiring the new UPIC, referring also to the previous letter
    A letter in Greek by Andreas Stafylopatis addressed to Stefanos Vassiliadis on the subject of acquiring the new UPIC, 1994 © Andreas Stafylopatis Archive

»Music is the mother of all time-based arts and therefore plays a special role at the ZKM.«

Peter Weibel

                Audiofiles

Picture of a book. The cover is white with orange lines, on it the lettering »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
Audio icon the-stream.mp3

The Stream

Author: Alfred Schnittke
/
Credit

Alfred Schnittke, 1968, 5'55'', composed with ANS Synthesizer at the Experimental Studio for Electronic Music at Skriabin Museum, Moscow, Russia, from Electroshock Records – ELCD 011 Electroacoustic Music Volume IV Archive Tapes Synthesizer ANS 1964–1971, 1999, excerpt from 3'03'' to 4'31'' © Alfred Schnittke

Picture of a book. The cover is white with orange lines, on it the lettering »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
Audio icon eua_on_ome.mp3

Eua’on’ome

Author: Julio Estrada
/
Credit

Julio Estrada, e.16b, for orchestra, 1995, premiered and recorded with Baden-Baden Orchestra, Südwestfunk, conducted by Olaf Henzold in Donaueschingen, Germany, October 20, 1995. In Xenakis, UPIC, Continuum, Electroacoustic and Instrumental Works from CCMIX Paris, Mode 98/99, 2 CDs, Éditions Salabert, excerpt from 7'45'' to 10'44'' © juliusedimus

Picture of a book. The cover is white with orange lines, on it the lettering »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
Audio icon ishini_ioni.mp3

Ishini’ioni

Author: Julio Estrada
/
Credit

Julio Estrada, e.19, 1990, for string quartet. In Julio Estrada. Chamber Music for Strings, Arditti String Quartet, Arditti Quartet Edition 27, Auvidis Montaigne, MO 782056, CD, digital recording by Radio France, Paris, France, excerpt from 6'30'' to 8'03'' © juliusedimus

Picture of a book. The cover is white with orange lines, on it the lettering »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
Audio icon canto-naciente.mp3

Canto Naciente

Author: Julio Estrada
/
Credit

Julio Estrada, e.8, 1975-78, for brass and choral section, premiered and recorded with UCSD Brass ensemble, conducted by Tom Lee at Intercon 82, Festival of Pan-American Contemporary Music, Center for Music Experiment, Music Department, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA, April 17, 1982, excerpt from 1'18'' to 2'59'' © juliusedimus

Picture of a book. The cover is white with orange lines, on it the lettering »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
Audio icon the-unthinkable.mp3

The Unthinkable

Author: Richard Barrett
/
Credit

Richard Barrett, 1989, 6'28'' © Richard Barrett

Picture of a book. The cover is white with orange lines, on it the lettering »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
Audio icon disquiet.mp3

Disquiet

Author: Richard Barrett
/
Credit

Richard Barrett, 2018, 26'54'', 8-channel, stereoversion © Richard Barrett

Picture of a book. The cover is white with orange lines, on it the lettering »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
Audio icon aulodie.mp3

Aulodie

Author: François-Bernard Mâche
/
Credit

François-Bernard Mâche, 1983, for soprano saxophone, from Aulodie: Ruth Velten, CD Genuine GEN 16424, Éditions Durand, 1983, excerpt from 7'21'' to 7'53''

Picture of a book. The cover is white with orange lines, on it the lettering »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
Audio icon amphibian.mp3

Amphibian

Author: François-Bernard Mâche
/
Credit

François-Bernard Mâche, with rhythm excerpt (39”) from Proteus, 1980, undated and unpublished, excerpt from 4'32'' to 5'09'' © François-Bernard Mâche

Picture of a book. The cover is white with orange lines, on it the lettering »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
Audio icon hyperion.mp3

Hypérion

Author: François-Bernard Mâche
/
Credit

François-Bernard Mâche, 1981, unpublished, from Hypérion, CD Jade 015/12 19 34, excerpt from 0' to 1'58'' © François-Bernard Mâche

Picture of a book. The cover is white with orange lines, on it the lettering »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
Audio icon nocturne.mp3

Nocturne

Author: François-Bernard Mâche
/
Credit

François-Bernard Mâche, 1981, for piano, from Nocturne: Andrew Infanti, CD Musiques sournoises, 2001, Éditions Durand, excerpt from 5'51'' to 6'42''

Picture of a book. The cover is white with orange lines, on it the lettering »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
Audio icon monodie-iv.mp3

Monodie IV

Author: Takehito Shimazu
/
Credit

Takehito Shimazu, 1992, 12'52'', for UPIC tape, excerpt from 6'45'' to 7'15'' © Takehito Shimazu

Picture of a book. The cover is white with orange lines, on it the lettering »From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today«
Audio icon monodie-iva.mp3

Monodie IV A

Monodie IV A

Author: Takehito Shimazu
/
Credit

Takehito Shimazu, 1992, 17', for tape (UPIC) and percussion, recorded at the Festival of Asian Composers League, Sendai, Japan, June 7, 1992 at the Sendai International Center with Shin-ichi Ueno, percussion (SPX1000 is a reverberator by Yamaha), replayed with percussionist Michael Pugliese at the Portrait de Iannis Xenakis concert, Radio France, Paris, France, November 30, 1992, excerpt from 10'28'' to 10'58'' © Takehito Shimazu

Supported by

Text logo Centre Iannis Xenakis
Centre Iannis Xenakis
Black lettering of »interfaces« on a white background
Interfaces
Logo Co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union
Creative Europe
Text Logo Hatje Cantz in black
Hatje Cantz