Jordan Rudess

Renowned musician Jordan Rudess collaborates with Professor Joe Paradiso and the Media Lab Responsive Environments Group to create new technology that probes the boundaries of where AI meets musical control and expression. A machine learning model trained on Rudess’s playing style and technique improvises and performs live in a duet with its human counterpart. Sometimes leading, sometimes following, the model and human together create new and unique music that interacts in real time with a physical installation that responds to and influences the behavior of the model.

Over a series of visits to campus, Rudess shares his perspectives on music technology, performance, and technique through workshops, guest lectures, and a collaborative concert.

Originally welcomed as a Visiting Artist in 2023, Rudess received an appointment as a Distinguished Visiting Artist in 2025 in order to expand the research to enable more collaborative uses, incorporate expressive playing into the AI models, explore different modes of visually depicting AI intent for both performers and audience, broaden the span in musical style of our models (or better integrate them), and expand the creative reach of the system.

Lancelot Blanchard is a musician, engineer, and AI researcher pursuing a PhD at the MIT Media Lab’s Responsive Environments group. His research explores the development of Generative AI systems that facilitate human-AI co-created live musical performances, to improve the creative processes of musicians on stage. Lancelot is currently a LEGO Papert Fellow and an Emerson/Harris Fellow, and was an MIT Presidential Fellow. He holds a Master’s of Research in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning and a Master’s of Engineering in Computing from Imperial College London, as well as a degree in classical piano from the Conservatory of Rennes, France.

Website: lancelotblanchard.com

Perry Naseck is an artist, engineer, and researcher working with interactive, kinetic, light- and time-based media. He specializes in interaction, orchestration, and animation of systems of sensors and actuators for live performance and permanent installation. Perry is currently a PhD student in the Responsive Environments group at the MIT Media Lab, where his research focuses on creating new experiences for musicians and audiences. He explores how to closely link live performance visual systems with a focus on improvised and AI-generated music. Perry previously was an MIT Presidential Fellow and completed a Master’s at the MIT Media Lab. He also completed a Bachelor’s of Engineering Studies and Arts at Carnegie Mellon, where he studied both Art and Electrical & Computer Engineering.

Website: perrynaseck.com

Joseph Paradiso (Alexander W Dreyfoos 1954 Professor; Academic Head, Program in Media Arts and Sciences) directs the Responsive Environments group, which explores how sensor networks augment and mediate human experience, interaction, and perception.

Full bio: MIT Media Lab

Faculty Advisor: Joe Paradiso, Alexander W. Dreyfoos (1954) Professor and Director of the Responsive Environments Group, MIT Media Lab

AI Music System Designer: Lancelot Blanchard, Research Assistant, Responsive Environments Group, MIT Media Lab

Installation Artist/Designer: Perry Naseck, Research Assistant, Responsive Environments Group, MIT Media Lab

Audience Evaluation/Study Designer: Kimaya Lecamwasam, Research Assistant, Opera of the Future Group, MIT Media Lab

With thanks to Irmandy Wicaksono, whose Knitted Keyboard inspired the initial collaboration. 

With thanks to MTA Professor Anna Huang and the students who collaborated on the project: Heidi Lei, Nithya Shikarpur, Rachel Loh, Katherine Liang, Rushil Srikakolapu, Joel Tan, Ashley Zhang, Sophie Lin,

Jordan Rudess is best known as the keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire for platinum-selling Grammy Award–winning rock band, Dream Theater. A classical prodigy who began his studies at the Juilliard School at the age of 9, his music is a unique blend of classical and rock influences. In addition to playing in Dream Theater and his solo career, Rudess has worked with a wide range of artists, including Deep Purple, David Bowie, Steven Wilson, Jan Hammer, Enrique Iglesias, the Paul Winter Consort, Annie Haslam, Liquid Tension Experiment (with John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy, and Tony Levin), LMR (with Tony Levin and Marco Minneman), Blackfield, Aviv Geffen, the Dixie Dregs, Rod Morgenstein, and Tony Williams among others. 

His interest in state-of-the-art keyboard controllers and music apps is another area of his career in which he has achieved success. Rudess owns the successful app development company Wizdom Music, creators of award-winning apps such as MorphWiz, SampleWiz, and Geo Synthesizer. Wizdom Music’s latest app, GeoShred, was created in collaboration with moForte, founding members of Stanford University’s Sondius team. In addition, Rudess is the author of two keyboard technique books including his latest, Total Keyboard Wizardry: A Technique and Improvisation Workbook. Recently, he was an artist-in-residence at Stanford University’s Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA).

Website: jordanrudess.com
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