My compositional research focusses on developing and deploying artist-led creative technologies (including AI, video game technologies and improvising machines) that empower creativity. It positions live musical performance as a valuable space for reflecting on and challenging our relationship with emerging technologies.
I am a researcher at King's College London Department of Music - my profile is here and an Associate at PRiSM (the Centre for Practice & Research in Science & Music at the Royal Northern College of Music). I was previously Career Development Fellow in Composition at Jesus College, Oxford University (2022-25) .
You can download a version of my CV here (last updated August 2025).
My PhD at PRiSM (2018-2022) was in association with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council through the North-West Consortium Doctoral Training Partnership. You can read it here.
Recent research projects
[ARTICLE, REPRODUCED]
Towards Astromusicology
(page under development)
Articles & interviews
Laidlow, R. (2025). "AI Innovation and Orchestras". In Why technology needs artists: 40 international perspectives. British Council. https://doi.org/10.57884/Z34F-0732
Laidlow, R. (2024). "Generative AI and Music Composition". In Music, Technology, Innovation (pp. 253-273). Routledge.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003041474
Laidlow, R. (2024) "Artificial Intelligence and the Symphony Orchestra" in Classical Music Futures. Open Book Publisher.
https://doi.org/10.11647/obp.0353.18
Laidlow, R.*, Mehnert, W.*, Haith, C., Laubscher, S. (2024). Sound of Contagion – An Artistic Research Project Exploring A.I. as a Creative Tool for Transmedial Storytelling. In Eckart Voigts et al. (eds.), Artificial Intelligence - Intelligent Art? Human-Machine Interaction and Creative Practice. Transcript Publishing.
Kanga, Z. (…) Laidlow, R. (et al.) (2024). Technology and Contemporary Classical Music: Methodologies in Practice-Based Research. Project Report. National Centre for Research Methods.
Laidlow, R. (2023). Silicon for Orchestra and Artificial Intelligence. Proceedings of AIMC 2023. Retrieved from https://aimc2023.pubpub.org/pub/wbt654g2
Laidlow, R. (2023). Warp. Textual Practice, 37(12), 1856-1859.
https://doi.org/10.1080/0950236x.2023.2275375
de Roure, D., Laidlow, R., (et al.) (2019). Alter - An Ensemble Work Composed with and about AI. Digital Music Research Network Proceedings 2019.
BBC Radio 3 Music Matters (2023) interview on Silicon and AI
New Scientist video interview on Silicon
PRiSM's Emily Howard and Robert Laidlow: Mathematics, AI and the orchestra PRS Article
Alter, Artificial Intelligence and the Modern Polymath
Royal Philharmonic Society article
Inventing the Lovelace Engine
PRiSM Article
BBC Radio 3 Music Matters (2019) - AI and the future of music
University of Salford Research Festival/BBC Philharmonic Performance
Pre-performance interview ahead of performance of Alter
Calculus of the Nervous System interview
Generating the Future interview and event
RNCM Radio Interview and broadcast
Recent & upcoming talks
Public lecture-performance on AI, Creativity & Beethoven. At the Berlin Konzerthaus. 03/06/2025.
Post-Singularity Songs: Custom Language Models as Worldbuilding Oracles. Invited talk at Edinburgh Futures Institute Conference on AI and the Voice. 07/03/2025
Embedding Stacco into Orchestral Composition. At the Intelligent Instruments Lab Seminar, University of Reykjavik. 29/11/2024.
King, G., & Laidlow, R. Metamodernism in UK Contemporary Music: Perspectives from Practioners. At the Royal Musical Association Conference. Senate House, University of London. 12/09/2024
Disruptor, Imitator, Listener, Improvisor: Embracing AI in the Compositional Process. Invited talk at ‘Critical & Creative Digital Dynamics: A Symposium on AI & Digital Innovations for Inter-art Chamber Music Practices’ at the School of Advanced Study, University of London. 24/06/2024.
Towards Non-Human Music: Songbirds, Funghi and Artificial Intelligence. Invited keynote Talk at the Elbphilharmonie ‘Art of Music Education’ symposium. Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg, Germany. 01/03/24
Collaborating in the Digital Space at the 2024 Association of British Orchestras Conference. Bristol Beacon. 25/01/2024.
Music in the Age of AI at Guildhall School of Music & Drama ResearchWorks Series. 06/11/2023.
‘Spectra and structures: navigating compositional latent spaces in chamber and orchestral music’ at OSMiTA. Oxford University. 24/10/2023.
Three Strategies for Incorporating Artificial Intelligence into the Compositional Process of Orchestral Music at AIMC Conference 2023, Brighton. 30/08/2023.
Music that contains itself: proportionality as musical material at the Society for Music Analysis annual conference, Oxford University. 07/07/2023.
Silicon Soul; Neural Synthesis as Archive-Specific Compositional Tool at the Cyborg Soloists Symposium, Royal Holloway University. 16/06/23
Presenting on my current and ongoing research at the Digital Hub in Jesus College, Oxford. 17/05/23
New Horizons panel member at the ISM Empowered Musician Day 2023. 23/04/23
Music and Artificial Intelligence: mimic or muse? at Wolfson College, Oxford University. 09/02/23
Artificial Intelligence as Creative Agent in the Compositional Process at the 57th Royal Musical Association Annual Conference, Newcastle University. 14-16/09/21
Presenting on my work at New Music Gathering, Augsburg University, Minneaopolis, Minnesota. 12-18/08/21.
Presenting on my work at the Alan Turing Institute, AI&ARTS Webinar Series. 25/06/21
Artificial Intelligence and the Orchestra at 'Towards 2040: Creating Classical Music Futures', Maastricht Centre for the Innovation of Classical Music. 22/04/21
Alter (2019) presented as part of the Machine Creativity Showcase, NeurIPS Conference, Vancouver. December 2020.
Alter (2019) presented as part of the 2020 Conference on AI Music Creativity, KTH, Stockholm. 18-23/10/20
Three Entistatios (2019) presented as part of BBC Blue Room Sounds Amazing Conference 2020.