Conference Programme (please download the full conference for the official programme, which provides additional details)
Wednesday, September 27, 2023:
17:00: Early registration and meet up at the bar at the Athens Marriott Hotel.
19:00: Registration closes.
Thursday, September 28, 2023:
09:00: Refreshments and Registration.
10:20: Welcome by Raf Orlowski, Conference Chair.
10:30: Anders Christian Gade from Gade & Mortensen Akustik, Denmark, present on acoustical challenges in horse shoe-shaped opera houses.
10:50: Philip Wright from Arup, UK, discusses subjective listening studies conducted at a leading Western opera house.
11:10: Gustavo Basso from the National University of La Plata, Argentina, talks about the absence of seat-dip in the stalls of the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires.
11:30: Octávio Inácio and Daniel José from InAcoustics, Portugal, present on the opportunity for improvement of the main Portuguese Opera House, Teatro São Carlos.
11:50: Refreshments & Posters.
12:10: Alban Bassuett from Arup, USA, discusses the design of the opera theater auditorium and the reciprocal influence between opera house and concert hall design.
12:30: Ryan Bizorek from Arup, USA, talks about flexible acoustics and sound system design to accommodate programming inside and outside the venue spaces.
12:50: Vassily Laffineur from RPBW Architects, France, presents on the architectural design of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center.
13:10: Lunch & Posters.
14:00: Auditorium Visit.
15:00: Rachid Abu-Hassan from Arup, USA, discusses sound isolation and HVAC noise control in design and practical challenges.
15:20: Peter Exton from Marshall Day Acoustics, Australia, shares thoughts on whole stage imaging for theaters.
15:40: Tapio Lokki and Pedro Llado from Aalto University, Finland, talk about the perception of musical dynamics and orchestra spectra combined with auditory modeling.
16:00: Paul Bavister from University College London, UK, discusses the biometric evolution of space.
16:20: Refreshments & Posters.
17:00: Yuxiao Chen from Marshall Day Acoustics and Densil Cabrera from the University of Sydney, Australia, present on the trade-off between good view and good acoustics.
17:20: Magne Skålevik from AKUTEK and Brekke & Strand, Norway, discusses music, room, two ears, design, and paradigms.
17:40: Evan Green, Vincent Berrier, Thomas Wulfrank, and Eckhard Kahle from Kahle Acoustics, Belgium, talk about the influence of early reflection surface size in concert halls.
18:00: Close.
Friday, September 29, 2023
09:00 – The day commences with a refreshing pause for sustenance, allowing the attendees to prepare for the stimulating sessions ahead.
09:30 – The first topic explores the acoustic effects of long-delayed reflections from rear walls in a shoebox hall, presented by Toshiki Hanyu, Akane Kawai, Ryoichi Suzuki, and Kazuma Hoshi from Nihon University, Japan.
09:50 – Next, Eckhard Kahle, Yann Jurkiewicz, Evan Green, and Vincent Berrier from Kahle Acoustics, Belgium delve into the question of why large concert halls need to be optimized for early reflection coverage.
10:10 – John O’Keefe of O’Keefe Acoustics, Canada take the stage to discuss the optimization of zone-to-zone reflectors using a genetic algorithm.
10:30 – Alexandros Galatas and Konstantinos Dadiotis from ACC Acoustics Consultancy Company, Greece share their insights on the methodology of early reflector geometry optimization.
10:50 – A well-deserved break followed, allowing attendees to refresh themselves and explore the poster presentations related to concert hall acoustics.
11:40 – Gunter Engel and Jürgen Reinhold from Müller-BBM Building Solutions, Germany captivate the audience with their presentation on the acoustics upgrade for the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House.
12:00 – José A. Nepomuceno from Akustiks, Brazil, and Christopher N. Blair from Akustiks, USA share an intriguing tale of the transformation of David Geffen Hall, considered the world’s most infamous concert hall.
12:20 – Petri Lehto, Henrik Mӧller, Jukka Pätynen, Javier Gómez Bolaños, Perttu Laukkanen, and Sara Vehiläinen from Akukon, Finland enlighten the audience about the fine-tuning of Sibelius Hall’s stage acoustics.
12:40 – Svein Folkvord from COWI, Norway sheds light on the challenges posed by a highly absorptive stage environment in relation to listening and dynamics.
13:00 – A moment of appreciation is dedicated to Russell Johnson, an esteemed acoustician and architect, with tributes presented by Bob Essert and Anne Minors from Imagine Sound, UK.
14:10 – The afternoon sessions commence with Raf Orlowski as the chair, focusing on the connection between iconography and reverberation performance of Byzantine temples through an experimental investigation by Panagiotis Karampatzakis from Aristotelian University, Greece.
14:30 – Ian Rees from Adrian James Acoustics Ltd, UK explores the auditory experience of a full Epidaurus through directional measurement of impulse response, enhancing computer models.
14:50 – Konstantinos Dadiotis and Alexandros Galatas from ACC Acoustics Consultancy Company, along with Koula Kondylatou and Kostas Loukos from K Loukas and Partners, Greece, enlightens the audience about the open-air Amphitheatre in Andros.
15:10 – Theo I. Niaounakis from Theta Acoustics, UK shares insights into the acoustic design of Amphitheatre ‘Ioannis Despotopoulos’ at Athens Conservatoire in Athens, Greece.
15:30 – Another refreshing break ensues, accompanied by opportunities to peruse posters related to small auditoria and rehearsal rooms.
Saturday, September 30, 2023:
09:00 – The day kicks off with a delightful break for refreshments, allowing attendees to energize themselves for the engaging sessions ahead.
09:30 – Brian FG Katz, Peter Stitt, and Antoine Weber from Sorbonne University, France present their innovative work on new ways of working with scale models, emphasizing the importance of size in acoustic experiments.
09:50 – Takayuki Hidada, Kazunori Suzuki, and Shin-ichiro Koyanagi from Takenaka Research & Development Institute, Japan delve into the auralization of orchestras based on a 1/10 scale model experiment, providing fascinating insights into recreating the acoustic experience.
10:10 – Sarabeth S Mullins and Brian FG Katz, also from Sorbonne University, France, introduce the concept of immersive auralization for choral ensembles, enhancing the auditory experience for both performers and listeners.
10:30 – Jens Ahrens from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden presents a software tool for the auralization of simulated sound fields, offering a valuable resource for sound design and analysis.
10:50 – A break ensues, allowing participants to replenish themselves and explore the poster presentations related to measurements.
11:50 – Ingo B. Witew and Michael Vorländer from RWTH Aachen University, Germany explore the accuracy of measurements in room acoustics and questioned the extent of our proficiency in this field.
12:10 – Mike Barron, a consultant from the UK, discusses the use of lateral fraction or cross-correlation for spatial impression, shedding light on the intricacies of spatial perception in acoustics.
12:30 – Jean-Dominique Polack from Sorbonne University, France revisit Sabine’s formula, a fundamental equation in room acoustics, offering fresh perspectives and insights.
12:50 – Ning Xiang from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA, and Zuhre Su-Gul from Bilkent University, Turkey explore the efficiency and uncertainties of sound energy decay analysis in auditoria, contributing to a better understanding of sound behavior in enclosed spaces.
13:10 – A well-deserved lunch break provides an opportunity for attendees to indulge in delicious nourishment and networking.
14:10 – The afternoon sessions commences with Alban Bassuet as the chair, focusing on the topic of intelligibility in acoustics.
14:10 – Bob Essert from Imagine Sound, UK shares the concept of combining natural acoustics and audio in a debating chamber, offering an immersive and engaging experience.
14:30 – Luca Dellatorre from Charcoalblue, UK explores the challenges of intelligibility and localization in in-the-round spaces, offering valuable insights for architects and designers.
14:50 – Onur Gulen from AECOM, UK presents the acoustic design of the Shakespeare North, a Jacobean Theatre in Liverpool, highlighting the importance of creating an optimal auditory experience.
15:10 – Anne Minors from Imagine Sound, UK discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on separation and the challenges faced in jazz performances.
15:30 – A refreshing break follows, accompanied by opportunities to explore the poster presentations.
16:30 – Bob Essert takes on the role of chair once again, introducing the sessions on active acoustics.
16:30 – Henrik Möller from Aalto University, Finland, and Łukasz Blasiński from Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland present their research on room acoustic measurements in halls with electro-acoustic enhancement systems, offering insights
16:50, Volker Werner, Fabio Kaiser, and Clemens Frischmann from Amadeus Acoustics, Austria present their evaluation of a geometric approach to active acoustics. They explore the use of geometrical configurations and techniques to optimize the performance of active acoustic systems.
17:10, Benedikt Roß from Amadeus Acoustics, Germany compares musical performances in different acoustic environments created with an active acoustics system. This study aimed to understand the influence of varying acoustic conditions on musical interpretations and performances.
17:30, Pauline Heister from the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, Austria discusses the significance of excellent concert hall acoustics for audio recordings of classical music. The presentation highlights the importance of capturing high-quality sound in concert halls to preserve and reproduce the true essence of classical music.
17:50, Perttu Laukkanen, Janne Riionheimo, and Jukka Pätynen from Akukon, Finland shares their insights into the room acoustic design of a 15,000-capacity multipurpose arena. This project involved creating an optimal acoustic environment for a large-scale venue with versatile usage requirements.
18:10, The conference concludes with closing remarks, followed by the close of the event at 18:20, marking the end of the informative and engaging sessions.
