Than van Nispen

Than van Nispen is a lecturer and researcher at HKU School of Music and Technology where he lectures mostly on Sonic Interaction Design, (interactive) composition in contexts and art & ecology. He is also a music composer for (interactive) live concerts, (art)games and interactive installations.

Than van Nispen is a lecturer and researcher at HKU School of Music and Technology where he lectures mostly on Sonic Interaction Design, (interactive) composition in contexts and art & ecology. He is also a music composer for (interactive) live concerts, (art)games and interactive installations.

As a master in both Music and Biology he lectures on both the domains of composition in context, like film and game music, as well as biological and ecological approaches to art, music and sound.

Than (1977) has a master of science degree in Biology at Utrecht University (2002), as well as a European Media Masters of Arts with honours degree in Composition for the Media at HKU University of the Arts Utrecht (2009) and a Master of Music at the University of the Arts Utrecht (2016). He has a background as a board member of MiMM, the Dutch Music Institute MultiMedia and LUDWIG.

Than's contributions to the domain of interactive music can be found in several video- and art-games, concerts, as well as interactive (art) installations for museums, theatre and the public domain. Some of his work includes:

  • Sound and music for Harmonic Dissonance and Phantom Body (Lakenhal, NXT, Doornburgh, ea) in collaboration with cognitive neuroscientist Suzanne Dikker and artist Matthias Oostrik
  • Karmaflow: The Rock opera Videogame and live concert (including audience interactive participation) with Metropole Orchestra
  • Interactive music composition for a 1970 videogame Space Invaders mod, both performed by the Arnhem Philharmonic Orchestra at the 2013 Museumnacht in Amsterdam and the International Computer Music Conference 2014 (in a string quartet reduction) and Indie Games Concert 2015
  • King of Games: an interactive concert for children with concerts performed by both the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hague Residentie Orkest
  • Non-linear compositions, arrangements and development advice for the “ikcomponeer” educative composition tool for children
  • Non-linear music compositions and advice for the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra installation ‘de Orkest Ontdekker’, October 2013.

Than has lectured and given workshops since 2004 at, among others, HKU, the Utrecht University, ArtEZ, Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Sound Education, EsArt (Portugal), Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts (China), MediaSoundHamburg, Soundtrack Cologne and several conferences.

Publications