Belgian orchestra swaps sheet music for tablets

The musicians of the Leuven Alumni Orchestra no longer need to turn the pages of their music scores during concerts thanks to an innovative tablet computer programme.  When the conductor points to a spot on his digital music score, which is displayed on a large console that looks like a huge tablet, the normal-sized tablets of musicians will scroll automatically to the same place.

The new software is developed by SCORA, a company founded by Jan Rosseel, who is a trombonist in the orchestra. Rosseel received subsidies from the Flemish Agency for Innovation in Science and Technology to develop the programme.

Because they don’t have to turn their pages while playing, musicians should be able to concentrate more on the music, according to Rosseel. The technology will be used live for the first time during concerts on 14 and 15 December in the University of Leuven’s Pieter De Somer auditorium.