ERC Advanced Grant awarded to Paulo de Assis

We are delighted to announce that Paulo de Assis, Research Fellow at the Orpheus Instituut, has been awarded a prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant for his new project Posthuman Music. The funding—amounting to €2.5 million—was officially announced on 17 June 2025, as part of the ERC’s latest €721 million funding round under the Horizon Europe programme. The competition attracted 2,534 proposals, which were evaluated by panels of internationally renowned researchers; ultimately, only 281 received funding.

This highly competitive grant supports researchers pursuing ambitious, curiosity-driven projects that have the potential to lead to major scientific breakthroughs. The Posthuman Music project does precisely that—challenging foundational concepts of authorship, agency, and creativity in music, at a time when artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technologies are fundamentally reshaping the landscape of artistic creation.

At the heart of Posthuman Music lies a pressing question: What happens when music is no longer exclusively human? As AI-generated compositions, algorithmic systems, and decentralised modes of authorship become increasingly prevalent, traditional understandings of what music is—and how it is made—are being rapidly transformed. This project explores those transformations through both theoretical inquiry and practice-based research, aiming to define and develop a radically new framework for musical composition, performance, and interpretation.

The research unfolds across four integrated strands:

• RS1: Investigates the ontological and conceptual implications of AI and blockchain for music.
• RS2: Develops digital frameworks to contextualise posthuman musical practices.
• RS3: Designs innovative compositional tools using AI and blockchain.
• RS4: Launches an experimental Creative Lab, where smart contracts, generative algorithms, and real-time performance converge to produce new works and prototypes.

The project will generate a rich variety of outputs, including monographs, academic papers, compositions, digital performances, NFTs, and a dedicated web platform. It brings together an international team of experts in musicology, composition, digital media studies, and computer science—supported by an experienced advisory board—to ensure cross-disciplinary exchange and innovation at the highest level.

Paulo de Assis brings extensive experience to this project. He previously led the ERC-funded MusicExperiment21 (2013–2018), and has developed a widely recognised profile that bridges musical performance, philosophical inquiry, and artistic research. His work consistently opens new conceptual and artistic possibilities for how we engage with sound and creativity in the 21st century.

This new ERC grant positions the Orpheus Instituut at the forefront of research into the future of music in the digital era.

Discover the project: Posthuman music

Learn more about Paulo de Assis

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