Artificial Intelligence, Music, and International Cooperation: Southern Italy’s AFAM System Reaches East Asia
From June 23 to 27, 2025, a delegation from the “Alessandro Scarlatti” Conservatory of Palermo will take part in the 34th SIBMAS Conference in Hong Kong, Asia’s most prestigious performing arts forum. Professors Raffaele Longo and Michelangelo Galeati, Scientific Coordinator Professor Fabio Crescente, and Administrative Director Dr Raimondo Cipolla will present MUSIC4D—Italy’s top-ranking AFAM project funded under the PNRR programme—to over 200 international institutions. With nearly €6 million in funding, MUSIC4D brings together all the Conservatories of Sicily—Palermo, Trapani, Caltanissetta, Ribera, Catania, Messina—and of Sardinia—Cagliari and Sassari—alongside the University of Palermo (UNIPA) and the University of Calabria (UNICAL). The project explores the intersection of artificial intelligence, robotics, and musical performance, aiming to create new educational, creative, and technological ecosystems rooted in Southern Italy.
A highlight of the conference will be a live demonstration by the NAO humanoid robot, engaging in real-time musical improvisation with a jazz quartet from the Palermo Conservatory. The performance will showcase the expressive potential of human–machine interaction within live artistic contexts. The mission includes strategic meetings at the Italian Cultural Institute and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, where a Memorandum of Understanding will be signed to initiate international cooperation.
Fabio Crescente, Scientific Coordinator of MUSIC4D, stated: “We are here in Hong Kong to build a cultural bridge between the Mediterranean and Asia, between musical tradition and emerging languages. MUSIC4D connects arts, science, and territory, giving voice to young talents and promoting a digital, open, and global model of education. Our aim is to activate ecosystems where creativity and innovation merge, positioning Southern Italy as a living, contemporary laboratory.”
Michelangelo Galeati, international advisor, added: “MUSIC4D chooses to speak to the world not only through technological research, but through the emotional power that only music can convey. This mission is a powerful act of cultural diplomacy: we want to assert the value of our artistic and educational system in global arenas, forming lasting partnerships with those who share our vision of the future.”This mission marks a strategic step in the internationalization of Southern Italy’s AFAM system and reaffirms MUSIC4D’s role as a leading cultural, technological, and educational platform capable of shaping new artistic paradigms and global alliances.
