Laurie Spiegel

Laurie Spiegel was born in 1945 in Chicago. She grew up immersed in music, playing guitar, lute, and banjo. She earned a BA from Shimer College, where she studied Social Sciences, and spent two years abroad at Oxford University, taking courses in music theory and composition. She pursued further studies at Juilliard and Brooklyn College, ultimately shaping a multidisciplinary foundation. Since the early 1970s, New York City has been her creative base, where she continues to live and work.

Spiegel’s work stands at the intersection of music, technology, and innovation. Beginning in the 1970s, she worked at Bell Labs programming the GROOVE system, an advanced digital-analog hybrid synthesizer that she used to develop a unique blend of algorithmic composition and real-time improvisation, infusing warmth and emotional depth into electronic sound. Her landmark piece, Harmonices Mundi, inspired by Johannes Kepler’s astronomical theories, was selected for the Voyager Golden Record in 1977, making it one of the first human compositions sent into space. In 1986, Spiegel created Music Mouse, one of the earliest interactive music programs for personal computers, turning the computer into a playable instrument and expanding the possibilities of music creation. Over decades, she has released influential albums such as The Expanding Universe and Unseen Worlds, scored films and dance performances, and contributed software that pushed forward the role of computers as expressive artistic tools. Beyond music, Spiegel has also produced computer graphics, video art, drawings, and photography, reflecting her multidisciplinary approach. As an educator and mentor, she taught at Cooper Union and New York University, founding the first computer music studio at NYU, shaping future generations of composers and technologists. Her legacy extends beyond technology; she opened doors for women in electronic music and proved that computers can serve as collaborators in creative expression.

In 2023, Spiegel was awarded the Giga-Hertz Main Award for Electronic Music by the Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, recognizing her lifetime achievements. She is prominently featured in foundational texts on experimental music by Thom Holmes and Kyle Gann, and in the documentary Sisters with Transistors, which celebrates female pioneers in electronic music. Her compositions have been exhibited internationally and performed at venues including Royal Albert Hall, The Kitchen, and the New York Philharmonic Horizons Festival. Her extensive archives are preserved by institutions such as the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.