From 2 to 4 November 2026, Radiona will host the three-day SMC26 Winter School – Experimental Electronic Musical Instrument Design, organised as part of the international Sound and Music Computing Conference 2026 (SMC26), hosted by Music Biennale Zagreb (MBZ).
Radiona / Zagreb Makerspace is hosting the Winter School and providing the space, equipment and technical infrastructure for hands-on work and prototyping.
Led by Leo Fogadić and collaborators, the Winter School is intended for artists, musicians, designers, makers, researchers, students and anyone interested in exploring the intersection of sound, technology and performance.
Over three days, participants will develop and build experimental electronic musical instruments and sound interfaces using electronics, sensors, microcontrollers and a variety of physical materials.
The programme explores areas including Digital Musical Instruments (DMI), New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME) and Augmented Instruments – traditional acoustic or electric instruments enhanced with sensors, actuators and digital interfaces.
The focus is on hands-on work, experimentation, rapid prototyping and collaborative learning, with the aim of developing instruments that are not only functional but also expressive, playable and performance-ready.
Participants will have access to microcontrollers, buttons, potentiometers, rotary encoders, force-sensitive resistors, piezo sensors, accelerometers, capacitive touch sensors, distance sensors, LEDs and basic electronic components and prototyping materials. Participants are also welcome to bring their own sensors, electronic hardware or instruments if they have a specific project idea they would like to develop.
Programme
Day 1 – introductory lecture, concept development and project planning
Day 2 – instrument construction, prototyping and development
Day 3 – finalisation, rehearsals and presentation
The Winter School concludes with a showcase where participants will present and perform with the instruments developed during the workshop.
Previous experience in building musical instruments is not required. The programme welcomes participants from music, sound art, media art, design, engineering, electronics, creative coding and performance, as well as anyone with a strong interest in experimental instrument design.
Applications and participation fee
Applicants are invited to complete the registration form and submit a CV.
Early bird: €100 until 31 July 2026
Standard fee: €120 until 15 October 2026
The participation fee includes one lunch per workshop day.
Registration will remain open until all available places have been filled.
Registration and payment:
https://www.entrio.hr/event/smc-winter-school-33538
Participants are encouraged to work on their own laptops. MBZ or Radiona may provide several computers if necessary.
Mentors:
Leo Fogadić is a music technology researcher and creative technologist. He holds a Master’s degree in Sound and Music Computing from Aalborg University Copenhagen, where his work focused on digital musical instrument design, interactive sound systems, and innovative approaches to musical expression. He is a co-founder of Componental, a startup creating electronic musical instruments and creative tools for musicians. His projects combine embedded electronics, DSP, physical computing, and interaction design to develop accessible technologies that encourage experimentation and creativity. Alongside developing hardware and software for musicians, he leads workshops on building electronic instruments and creative technologies, helping participants bridge the gap between technology and artistic practice. His research interests include novel musical interfaces, human-computer interaction, participatory sound installations, embodied interaction, and making advanced music technology approachable for artists, educators, and makers alike.
Sara Bilić is a multidisciplinary designer and researcher whose work explores the relationship between technology, sustainability, and human experience. She holds a Master’s degree in Design for Planet from Design School Kolding, Denmark. Drawing on speculative design, participatory research, and systems thinking, she investigates how emerging technologies influence the ways we relate to one another and imagine possible futures. Working across design, art, and research, she creates projects that encourage reflection on ecological and social change through critical inquiry and collaborative design practices.
Marek Laslo is a software developer with a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Roskilde University, Denmark, where he specialised in physical computing. During his studies, he built several projects combining music, electronics and code, including DIY instruments and custom hardware interfaces, before writing his thesis on audio software. He now works on web and hardware integration at a company building both software and hardware, and still finds excuses to make noise on purpose. He likes showing people that building your own music tools is more approachable than it looks.
Quentin Prost is an Audio and DSP Software Engineer with an MSc in Engineering Acoustics from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). What began as an early interest in learning musical instruments gradually evolved into a passion for electronic music production, with a particular fascination for sound design, arrangement, mixing, and mastering. Today, he works as a Embedded Software Architect and DSP Developer at Componental, where he develops software and embedded audio solutions for music hardware, creating tools to enable creativity for musicians and music producers.
(Izvor: https://smc26.mbz.hr/)