Preserving the Music of Lydia Ayers
In 1996, composer, flutist, educator, and puppeteer Lydia Ayers (1952-2022) came to Hong Kong and began teaching at HKUST. She made music that joined earthy spirituality with technology: live flutes from around the world, computer-generated soundscapes, just intonation, and the stories carried by shadow and black-light puppets. Composing in Csound on NeXT computers, she digitally re-created Indonesian gamelan, Chinese winds, and Native American and Australian instruments. She also founded the puppet group Foggy Sound Garden.
Lydia passed away in 2022. Music born on NeXT computers could so easily have faded with its machines. Instead, her husband, Prof. Andrew Horner in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, initiated its preservation with the Library so that her legacy continues to shine.
Today, 60 of her compositions, spanning 1974 to 2013, are openly accessible on DataSpace@HKUST. The works are released under a CC BY license so scores, audio, and related files remain available for listening, study, and performance.
We have also given the collection a sky of its own. On our project page, every work is a star you can click and drag. Regroup the stars by instrument family, medium, or decade; switch to the Timeline or List view; and click any star for its story and a link to the music itself.
The universe of Lydia Ayers's preserved works. Every star is one composition.
If you have a quiet moment, we invite you to wander through her universe and listen.
Jennifer Gu
Assistant University Librarian (Digital Strategies)
lbjennifer@ust.hk
