Mathematics and Computation in Music 2026 (MCM 2026)

Session

Keynote Address

23 Jun 2026, 19:00

Olin Concert Hall in Franklin W. Olin Humanities Building

Conveners

Keynote Address: Thomas Noll

• Mariana Montiel

Keynote Address: Noam Elkies

• Charles Doran

45. Keynote by Thomas Noll: The Algebra of the 'Tongesellschaft': Towards a Mathematical Conceptualization of Tonal Interaction

Thomas Noll

23/06/2026, 19:00

The concept of the well-formed scale has been a classic paradigm within mathematical music theory for more than three decades. This keynote address traces its subsequent structural and theoretical developments since our inaugural conference in 2007.
By indexing the seven pitches of the diatonic scale both by fifths and by step intervals, one obtains a permutation of the integers from 0 to...

46. Keynote by Noam Elkies: Canonical Forms and Transformations

Noam Elkies

24/06/2026, 19:00

We review the problem of constructing musical canons, and the standard recursive technique for constructing them given a criterion of harmonic consonance. We then illustrate how symmetries and near-symmetries of the consonance relation help composers create canons that go beyond counterpoint exercises to serve as structural and expressive tools.