Gresham College Lectures

The Maths of Music (and the Music of Maths) - Milton Mermikides and Sarah Hart


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This is the fourth lecture from the Gresham Festival of Musical Ideas.
https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/series/musical-ideas-2025

Professors Sarah Hart and Milton Mermikides reveal the deep connections between music and mathematics. Whether that’s the Euclidean rhythms that shape funky grooves, the set theory that maps every possible chord, or a live rendering of the geometric elegance of Gresham Professor Iannis Xenakis’s algorithmic compositions, this event will reveal how maths can help explain – and even inspire – the richness of musical experience.

This lecture was recorded by Milton Mermikides and Sarah Hart on 29th June 2025 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London.

Sarah Hart was the first woman Professor of Geometry at Gresham College, and Acting Provost between March and October 2025. She is also Professor Emerita of Mathematics at Birkbeck, University of London. Milton Mermikides  is Gresham Professor of Music.He is Associate Professor in Music at the University of Surrey, Professor of Guitar at the Royal College of Music and Deputy Director of the International Guitar Research Centre.

The transcript of the lecture is available from the Gresham College website:https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/maths-music-and-music-maths

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