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Lejaren Hiller

Lejaren Hiller was an American composer, music theorist, and computer music pioneer. Born in 1924, he studied music at the University of California, Berkeley, and later at the University of Illinois. Hiller's early compositions were influenced by serialism and electronic music, but he soon became interested in the use of computers in music. In 1956, he co-founded the University of Illinois Experimental Music Studios, one of the first centers for computer music research. Hiller's computer-generated compositions, such as "Illiac Suite" (1957), were groundbreaking works that explored the possibilities of using algorithms and randomness in music. He also wrote extensively about music theory and computer music, and his book "Computer Music: Experiments in Sound Synthesis" (1959) is considered a classic in the field. Hiller continued to compose and teach until his death in 1994, and his legacy as a pioneer of computer music continues to inspire musicians and researchers today.

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