Leslee Smucker

D//Am0re is an artistic research project exploring the augmentation of the viola d’amore (or other instruments with sympathetic strings) through electromagnetic resonance and custom hardware. Led by Leslee Smucker (violinist and composer), Johan van Kreij (composer and creative coder), and Siavash Jafari (composer and hardware developer), the project investigates how historical instruments can be adapted for contemporary performance practices. By developing a device that activates and manipulates sympathetic strings in real time, the team explores new possibilities for polyphony, interactive performance, and hybrid musical approaches. The methodology involves hands-on hardware experimentation, iterative testing, and performative demonstrations, contributing to discourse on acoustic augmentation and digital lutherie. D//Am0re ultimately seeks to establish a framework for future instrument augmentations, expanding the sonic and expressive potential of historically rooted instruments in digital culture.

D//Am0re is supported by Stimuleringsfonds Starting Grant