Cunningham Township in Urbana in Champaign County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Beginnings of Computer Music

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 28, 2023

1. Beginnings of Computer Music Marker

Inscription. Lejaren A. Hiller and Leonard M. Isaacson created the first substantial computer- produced musical composition. The premiere of the “ILLIAC Suite” for string quartet on August 9, 1956 at the Urbana campus of the University of Illinois changed how people thought about music and its relationship to science.

Erected by University of Illinois.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Arts, Letters, Music. In addition, it is included in the University of Illinois series list. A significant historical date for this entry is August 9, 1956.

Location. 40° 6.414′ N, 88° 13.387′ W. Marker is in Urbana, Illinois, in Champaign County. It is in Cunningham Township. It is on West Oregon Street east of South Goodwin Avenue, on the right when traveling east. Marker is on the north side of the Music Building at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1115 W Oregon St, Urbana IL 61801, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central Illinois.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally,

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it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: String Project (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (about 500 feet away); Preschool Learning (about 500 feet away); Channing-Murray Foundation/Unitarian Church of Urbana (about 600 feet away); Tina Weedon Smith Memorial Hall (approx. 0.2 miles away); Archaea (approx. 0.2 miles away); Former Site of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign (approx. 0.2 miles away); Measuring Molecular Structure (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Urbana.

Also see . . .
1. ILLIAC Suite. Despite his interest in music, Hiller was first and foremost a chemist. But, it was the similarity in methodologies between chemistry problems and music composition which led Hiller to experiment. You can hear the result here. (Illinois Distributed Museum)

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 28, 2023

2. Beginnings of Computer Music Marker

(Submitted on June 9, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

2. Lejaren Hiller. Lejaren Arthur Hiller Jr. was a chemist with the heart of a musician. (Illinois Distributed Museum) (Submitted on June 9, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Credits. This page was last revised on April 28, 2026. It was originally submitted on June 9, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 303 times since then and 49 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 9, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.