Mathews, Max (Vernon)

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Mathews, Max (Vernon)

Mathews, Max (Vernon), American computer scientist and composer; b. Columbus, Nebr., Nov. 13, 1926. He studied electrical engineering at the Calif. Inst. of Technology (B.S., 1950) and at the Mass. Inst. of Technology (M.S., 1952; D.Sc, 1954). He joined the Bell Telephone Laboratories in Murray Hill, N.J. (1955), and developed its MUSIC programs, the first computer sound-synthesis languages; with other scientists, he developed its GROOVE (Generated Real-time Operations on Voltage-controlled Equipment) system; he also developed electronic violins. He wrote the book The Technology of Computer Music (1969). His compositions for computer include May Carol II (I960), Numerology (I960), The 2nd Law (1961), Masquerades (1963), Slider (1965)1, International Lullaby (1966; in collaboration with O. Fujimura), and Swansong (1966).

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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