To whom it may concern,
For more than fifteen years I have followed Jacopo Baboni Schilingi’s work, both his musical creation and his publications and involvement at national and international level. I met Jacopo through his research and reflection within Anomos; I came to know him through his many collaborations with the CITU laboratory, as an artist and a member of its Scientific Council. Discovering his work only reinforced my first impression of a person of stature: a creator, researcher and entrepreneur in the broadest sense.
As a composer, he has distinguished himself by combining instrumental and generative music, notably in works such as Spatio Intermisso [2005] and, more recently, De la nature du sacré [2012, commissioned by the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome]. His work operates at the highest level, both in musical quality and theoretical reflection. From the outset, his practice has been transdisciplinary, and he has successfully multiplied collaborations with renowned artists in fields as varied as architecture [AIMTR with Pier Luigi Copat], articulated bronze sculpture [Instrument à gond with Arman] and immersive virtual-reality installations [Metapolis with Miguel Chevalier and Jean-Pierre Balpe]. Far from eclecticism, his musical work reveals an open mind and a personal style that have earned him well-deserved international recognition.
Alongside his own artistic practice, Jacopo became involved at an early stage in creating, developing and managing research and production organisations that have made a substantial contribution to reflection on, and the dissemination of, the most advanced practices in contemporary creation. For six years, from 1999 to 2005, he was Director of Education and Research at Tempo Reale in Florence. In this role, he opened four production studios—in Florence, Milan, Rome and Siena—under Luciano Berio’s artistic supervision. In 2001, he established the international research and production group PRISMA, which he continues to direct successfully.
He is an experienced team leader, with a genuine understanding of the human relationships needed to carry out ambitious projects. Aware of international challenges, he can promote a high standard of quality in research and creation while ensuring that his initiatives have strong visibility. As an excellent manager, he does this without neglecting material and logistical considerations. These are qualities rarely found together in one person.
This leads me, without hesitation, to give my strongest support to Jacopo Baboni Schilingi’s candidacy for the directorship of La Muse en Circuit. Visionary, structured and pragmatic, he has, in my view, a rare profile, particularly well suited to the role.
Maurice Benayoun
Artist
Professor at the School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong
Senior Lecturer at Université Paris 8
Co-founder of CITU
Founder and Director of H2H Lab