Wait ‘Til the Musicians’ Union Hears About This!

An Australian opera singer claims to have invented a computerized orchestra which can follow a conductor’s beat, making it the perfect alternative to a live pit orchestra for ballets and operas. Critics and musicians are predictably dismissive of the cyber-orchestra, which basically involves one guy with a laptop following a conductor with his mouse, but small ballet and opera companies which can’t afford to hire full orchestras are excited to try it out.