Mari Kimura Guest Lecture – MUGIC®: Mastery over Novelty — A Lasting Tool for Musicianship and the Performing Arts

Venue：18th September 2025（Thur）

13:00 ~ Lecture (Tokyo University of the Arts, Senju Campus, Lecture Room 2)

Abstract

This lecture explores a pivotal shift in the relationship between technology and the performing arts—from chasing novelty to cultivating mastery. Violinist, composer, and technologist Mari Kimura presents MUGIC® (Music/User Gesture Interface Control), a groundbreaking motion sensor designed to deepen, not replace, musicianship.

Unlike many fleeting tech innovations, MUGIC® is a lightweight, wearable device that captures expressive gestures in real time, converting them into control data for sound, visuals, and interactive media. Designed with performers in mind, it emphasizes expressivity, accessibility, and longevity—offering a sustainable model for integrating technology into the arts, education, and therapeutic practices. A highlight of the system is the MUGIC® Glove, a custom-designed wearable glove engineered for comfort, precision, and versatility. Crafted from hypoallergenic, breathable materials, the glove supports both rapid and nuanced movements. Medical-grade Velcro patches allow the sensor to be attached not only to the glove but also to costumes, props, instruments, or other body parts, expanding creative potential far beyond a single form.

Drawing from over a decade of development and real-world application—from interdisciplinary curricula to stages such as Lincoln Center, the Venice Biennale, and Expo 2025 Osaka—Kimura showcases how mastering a robust, intuitive tool fosters deeper expression and long-term artistic growth.

Profile

Mari Kimura

Mari Kimura, hailed by The New York Times as a “virtuoso playing at the edge,” is a visionary violinist, composer, and educator renowned for merging technology with music. She pioneered “subharmonics,” a groundbreaking bowing technique that extends the violin’s range below its lowest string. A Guggenheim Fellow, she has received the Fromm Commission, a residency at IRCAM, and honored by the Carnegie Corporation as an ‘Immigrant: Pride of America,’ she is only the second Japanese national to receive this recognition, following Yoko Ono.

In 2020, Kimura launched MUGIC®, a wireless motion sensor revolutionizing artistic expression, now used at leading institutions such as Harvard, UC Berkeley, Juilliard, and the Venice Biennale. Her innovation and entrepreneurial efforts earned her a Certificate of Congressional Recognition from the U.S. House of Representatives. A professor at UC Irvine and longtime Juilliard faculty member, she continues to push musical boundaries through composition and improvisation. In 2025, she was honored with the SEAMUS Award for lifetime achievement in electroacoustic music.