Charlotte Kemp Muhl’s Finis Musicae Debuts AI-Assisted Robotic Orchestra

Charlotte Kemp Muhl is pushing the boundaries of experimental music with Finis Musicae, a New York-based art and science collective that blends robotics, brain-computer interfaces and human performance into what it describes as an expansion — not a replacement — of musical expression.

The group has unveiled a striking new demonstration centered on George Gershwin’s classic “Summertime,” performed by its custom-built Exo Orchestra, a collection of robotic instruments designed to reinterpret the standard in what Finis Musicae calls a “radically post-contemporary form.”

The performance features bespoke robotic violas, harp, piano and trumpet outfitted with custom end effectors, robotic embouchures and hand-cast silicone prosthetics that calculate and execute musical gestures. At the center of the ensemble is AMECA, the humanoid robot created by Engineered Arts, making its singing debut as part of the project during a presentation at the SCSP technology convention in Washington, D.C.

Despite the futuristic visuals, Finis Musicae emphasizes that the project is fundamentally rooted in human craftsmanship. Every mechanical component, silicone prosthetic and movement is built, refined and programmed by the collective’s team of musician-programmers through extensive hands-on experimentation.

Founded by Muhl and futurist Sage Morei, alongside software lead Tim Loderhose and choreo-roboticist Megan Gessner, the initiative combines machine learning, custom robotics and human biosignals to explore new forms of composition, visual art and performance. The group’s broader ambitions include developing musical avatars for disabled performers while investigating what it calls “phygital transhumanism” — using technology to extend human creative potential rather than automate it.

Muhl brings an unusually wide-ranging résumé to the project, having performed with longtime boyfriend Sean Lennon and his mother Yoko Ono, Lou Reed, Jack White and St. Vincent, directed films and music videos, composed orchestral works and experimented with brainwave-driven music systems. At Finis Musicae, she serves as both director and engineer.

The collective’s long-term vision stretches well beyond the concert hall. Future projects imagine brainwave-controlled instruments performing in space, music made possible through bionic telekinesis and even remote performances in environments ranging from Chernobyl to the Moon, using robotic instruments as extensions of human creativity.

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