Tod Machover's already and not yet Receives World Premiere with Boston Symphony Orchestra
Kent Nagano conducts new orchestral work incorporating live AI technology as part of the MIT Media Lab's 40th anniversary celebration
The Boston Symphony Orchestra presents the world premiere of Tod Machover's already and not yet on October 22–24, 2026, conducted by Kent Nagano at Symphony Hall. Commissioned by the BSO, the new work explores the relationship between technology, individuality, and democracy through an innovative live artificial intelligence system developed by Machover and his team at the MIT Media Lab, where he serves as faculty director.
The premiere is a centerpiece of the BSO's Technology & Our Humanity initiative, a weeklong exploration of how technology is reshaping music, creativity, and human connection, presented in parallel with the MIT Media Lab's 40th anniversary celebration.
The title already and not yet reflects Machover's view of contemporary society: a world with much to appreciate, yet one that remains unfinished and urgently in need of progress. Across three movements, the work traces a journey from conflict and crisis to awakening, culminating in the composer's vision of a future democracy.
Central to the work is a specially designed live AI system that interacts with the orchestra in real time, enhancing individual instrumental lines while creating new connections and textures across the ensemble.
“Electronics enhance the orchestra throughout,” explains Machover, “but our Live AI system becomes prominent in movements two and three. In movement two, I use it to spin enhancements and variations on solo lines that sweep through the orchestra, emphasizing the individuality of—and difference between—each player.”
In the final movement, the technology draws together the orchestra's many layers to create what Machover describes as “a new kind of sound that balances detail and wholeness, polyphony and texture,” with the possibility of extending the music beyond the stage and into the concert hall, embracing the audience.
A pioneering figure at the intersection of music and technology, Machover has spent decades exploring new forms of musical expression through invention and collaboration. His work spans orchestral compositions, technologically innovative operas, and projects connecting music with health and wellness. With already and not yet, he brings these interests together in what he calls a “possible, positive vision” for the future of democracy.
Performance info
October 22–24, 2026
Symphony Hall | Boston
More info
Kent Nagano, conductor
Boston Symphony Orchestra
MENDELSSOHN The Hebrides Overture (Fingal's Cave)
TOD MACHOVER already and not yet (World premiere)
ALEX NANTE Ein feste Burg (US premiere)
MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 5, Reformation