Dr. Norah Lorway is a composer, coder, live coder and AI researcher. Norah holds a PhD in computer music at the University of Birmingham, working with BEAST and BEER. She also holds a MMus from the University of Calgary and a BMus from Mount Allison University. Norah completed a postdoctoral fellowship at University of British Columbia and has been full time faculty at Falmouth University (UK) and Toronto Metropolitan University.

Norah has performed in algoraves and live coding events throughout the UK, Europe, Asia and Australia at venues such as Corsica Studios, Fortune Sound Club and at  conferences such as NIME, AIMC, AISB, ICLC and others. She is a recipient of the Canada Council for the Arts, Robert Fleming Award in composition and her work in live coding and film music has received international recognition by outlets such as MixMag, Sundance Festival, Berlin Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and was recently nominated for a Cinema Eye Honors award for Best Score in her work with the film Anthropocene: The Human Epoch. Norah is also a co-director/founder at Beesting Labs, which specializes in software development for AI, immersive and DSP  applications as well as creating the Scorch music programming language. Her work is published by MIT press, including in the 2nd edition SuperCollider book.

Selected Recent Research Outputs

Chapters in Books:

1. Norah Lorway 2025. “Chapter 9:  Installing, Setting Up and Running the SuperCollider IDE”. The SuperCollider Book 2nd Edition. MIT Press. Ed. Wilson, Collins and Cotteridge 

Published April 29 2025 https://mitpress.ublish.com/ebook/the-supercollider-book-preview/12814/v 

2. Lorway, N. Powley E, Wilson, A. 2025. ChatGPT as a Coding Assistant for Algorithmic Composition in Scorch. Practice-based reflections on composition, performance and the musical instrument in contemporary electronic music. Cambridge Scholars Publishing (In Press)

Papers in Refereed Journals:

2. Lorway, N, Powley E, Wilson, A. Ethical and Aesthetic Considerations for ChatGPT as a Coding Assistant for Algorithmic Composition in Scorch. 2025. Airea Journal University of Edinburgh (In press)

3. Wall-Andrews, C, Escandon, L, N. Lorway,  Rana, S. 2023 “Exploring The Economic Opportunities and Threats of AI On the Creative Economy and Working Creative Class” Canadian Musician Magazine (Print and online)

Link

4. ​​ S. Wilson, N.Lorway, D. Ogborn. 2022 “ Conversation with The Canadian Live Coders: Muck in and find your own way to be part of it”. eContact! Out of the Studio and Onto the Stage. Issue 21.1 Link

5.  N. Lorway, Powley E, Wilson A. 2021. “The Scorch Manifesto: Creative Coding and Artificial Intelligence”. Wet Ink Archive (Online Journal)

Link 

6. N Lorway. 2019. “Across Voids: An Interactive Experience on Grief”. South West Creative Technology Network vol 1. Bristol, UK (Online Journal)

Link (Submitted to UK REF* in 2021)

7. N. Lorway. 2016. “You Can’t be What You Can’t See: adventures in promoting gender equality and accessibility in computer music with live coding”. Sound::Gender::Feminism::Activism Journal. London College of Communication. Vol. 1 London, UK (Online Journal)

Link

8. Wilson, S., N. Lorway, T. Moyers, R. Coull. K. Vasilakos. 2014 “Free as in BEER: Some explorations into structured improvisation using networked live coding systems.” Computer Music Journal. Live Coding Issue. 38:1. pp. 54-64. Spring 2014. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.

             Link (Submitted to UK REF* in 2021)

(*REF (Research Excellence Framework) is the UK’s national assessment of the quality of UK higher education research in all disciplines.)

Invited Talks, Keynotes, Panels, Workshops and More

1. Lorway, N. 2025. Invited Talk/Workshop on Scorch at Generative Audio for Music-Making (GAMMa)Workshop, CIRMMT. McGill University, Montreal, Canada

October 10 2025 https://www.cirmmt.org/en/events/workshops/research/10-oct-2025-generative-audio-music-making 

2. Lorway, N. 2024. Invited Talk for Ai 4 Good Labs - MILA (Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute) Montreal, Canada May 2024

3. Lorway, N. 2024. Invited Talk on Generative AI, Music Computing and EDI for Creative School Dimensions EDI Lunch and Learn, Toronto, Canada May 8 2024

4. Lorway, N. 2024. Invited panelist for the Creative School’s Creative AI Symposium, Toronto, Canada April 2 2024 https://www.torontomu.ca/the-creative-school/news-events/events/2024/04/creative-ai-symposium/ 

5. Lorway N. 2024. “Don’t Look Back: an Audio Visual Experience”. Performing Media Festival, South Bend Indiana University/South Bend Music of Art, March 5-7 2024

6. Lorway, N. 2023. Scorch: A new language for music coding”. _execute Festival, Düsseldorf, Germany (May 5-6 2023)

7. March 2023 Panel on Managing Music Assets for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility (DEIA).Hosted by Toronto Metropolitan University and Salt Flats. Panelists: Dr Norah Lorway (TMU), Carol Thomas-Knipes (Citi) and John Horodyski (Salt Flats) 

8. Lorway, N 2023. PetaKucha Presentation - RUBIX, Creative School, Toronto Metropolitan University, January 26th 2023

9. Lorway, N. 2022 Invited talk and Performance at Sounds Like: An Audio Festival” October 20-3 2022, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 

10. Lorway, N 2022. Keynote Address at “Intersections | Cross-sections: Politics of Sound'' Conference. York University March 18-19, 2022 (Online)

11. Lorway, N 2021. Invited Lecture “Recent Research in Music and Artificial Intelligence” Peabody Institute, Johns Hopkins University, September 2021 (Online)

12. Lorway, N. 2020 Invited Lecture “Autopia: Merging Live Coding and Artificial Intelligence” University of Indiana, Department of Music, and Department of Computer Science, November 2020 (Online)

13. Lorway, N. 2019. Invited Lecture “Across voids: Using Immersive and Artificial Intelligence technologies to support grief and bereavement”. SWCTN Immersion Showcase, Watershed, Bristol, UK July 12 2019.

14. Lorway, N. 2019. Invited Artist and Speaker “AcrossVoids: An interactive immersive experience on grief”. BEAST FeAST Symposium, University of Birmingham. May 2-4 2019

15. Lorway, N. 2018 Guest Lecture “VR game experiences for grief and trauma recovery”. Surrey Art Gallery Sound Symposium Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC November 22-27 2018.

16. Lorway, N. 2018 Guest Lecture “SonicDress: a wearable instrument for live coding performance”. AlgoraveTokyo, Japan. June 2nd 2018

17. Lorway, N. 2018. Guest Lecture “New directions in digital music instrument design”. Falmouth University Research Symposium, Falmouth, UK

18. Lorway, N. 2017. Invited Lecture “Live Coding and Gender Accessibility”. Pacific Northwest Feminist Electronic Arts Symposium, Vancouver BC - July 2017 

19. Lorway, N. 2017. Invited Lecture and Workshop on Live Coding and Algorave Music Making. Hear Me workshops. University of Huddersfield, July 2017

20. Lorway, N. 2015. Invited Lecture. “On Live coding and Gesture Control: New techniques in laptop performance”. Vancouver Electroacoustic Festival. Western Front, Vancouver, BC, November 2015

21. Lorway, N. 2015. Invited Talk and Performance “STAAVE: Simple/Sophisticated Tracking for Audio Visual Environments”. Incubate Festival, Tilburg, Netherlands. September 18, 2015

22. Lorway, N., Bhumber, K. Invited Tech Talk “Laptop Orchestras: Making Code into Music”; Mozilla Labs, Vancouver, BC, Canada March 3rd 2015

23. Lorway, N. 2014 Keynote Address “Promoting a Model of Liveness in Laptop Performance Through Live Coding and Gestural Controllers.” SSSP Conference, Leicester, UK, June 2014

Papers in Refereed Conference Proceedings:

1. Lorway, N 2025. “Double Black Diamond: Audio Visual Experience” Presentation, Performing Media Festival. University of Indiana South Bend 

2. Lorway, N 2025. Scorch AI: Ethical AI Collaborator for Creative Coding. Presentation. RUBIX, Creative School, Toronto Metropolitan University, February 2025

3. Lorway, N. 2025. “Ethically and Aesthetically informed AI Collaborators for music computing: Scorch AI Case Study”. Learning to Teach Creative Technologies with Generative AI: A Virtual UnSymposium. New York University, Integrated Design and Medium, January 17 , New York USA

4. Lorway, N, Powley, E, Wilson, A. 2024 ChatGPT as a Coding Assistant for Algorithmic Composition in Scorch. NoiseFloor Conference, Lisbon, Portugal. May 27-31 2024

5. Lorway, N. 2024. “Learning Music Computing with Generative AI - a case study on Scorch”. Learning to Teach Creative Technologies with Generative AI: A Virtual UnSymposium. New York University, Integrated Design and Medium, January 19-20, New York USA

6. Lorway, N, Powley, E, Wilson, A. 2023 “Scorch: A new programming language for music”. International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME), Mexico City, Mexico, May 31- June 2 2023”  

7. Lorway, N, Powley, E, Wilson, A. 2023 “Scorch: A new programming language for music”. International Conference on Live Coding (ICLC), Utrecht, Netherlands, April 19-23 2023”  

8. Wilson, S, Lorway, N, Vasilakos, K (As Birmingham Laptop Ensemble). 2021 Pea Soup: Networked live coding performance interface”. International Conference on Live Coding, Valdivia, Chile. ZAL

9. Lorway, N, Powley, E, Wilson, A. E.  2021. “Autopia:: An Artificial Intelligence Collaborator for Live Coding Music Performances”. Proceedings of 2nd International Conference on AI Music Creativity (MuMe CSMC), Institute of Electronic Music and Acoustics (IEM) of the University of Music and Performing Arts of Graz, Austria, July 18-22 2021 

10. Lorway, N, Wilson, A, Powley, E 2020. “Autopia: An Artificial Intelligence Collaborator for Live Coding Music Performances. International Network Music Festival, July 15-28 2020 (Online due to Covid 19)

11. Lorway, N, Wilson, A, Powley, E 2020. “Autopia: An Artificial Intelligence Collaborator for Live Coding Music Performances. International Conference on Live Coding, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland. Feb 6 2020

12. Lorway, N. 2019. “Across voids: Using Immersive and Artificial Intelligence technologies to support grief and bereavement”. NHS Cornwall Partnership Trust Artificial Intelligence Event. Sands Resort, Newquay, Cornwall, April 24th 2019  

14. Lorway, N.,M, Jarvis, A.Wilson, E.Powley. 2019. “Autopia: An Artificial Intelligence Collaborator for Gamified Live Coding Music Performances” Proceedings from the 10th Game AI Symposium at Artificial Intelligence and Simulation of Behaviour Conference (AISB), Falmouth University. April 16-18 2019

Select Recent Creative Output

Creative Output: Film Scores 

1.  2018 “Anthropocene: The Human Epoch”. Mercury Films, Toronto, Canada

Description: “The Anthropocene Project is a unique multidisciplinary investigation including a feature documentary from acclaimed filmmaking team Jennifer Baichwal, Nick de Pencier and Edward Burtynsky, marking the third in the trilogy following Manufactured Landscapes and Watermark; a fine art book published by Steidl and a museum exhibition including video, virtual reality and large scale Burtynsky photographs; and an educational, interactive website.”

ROLE: Composer 

SIGNIFICANT PREMIERES: September 6th 2018 at Toronto International Film; January 2019 at Sundance Film Festival 

LINK: https://theanthropocene.org/

AWARD NOMINATIONS: Nominated for a 2020 Cinema Eye Honors award for Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Score for Anthropocene: The Human Epoch (https://cinemaeyehonors.com/eligible-films/anthropocene-the-human-epoch/) 

3. 2017 “We Have Never Never Asian”, dir. Brent Lin. University of Vancouver, Canada

Description: “We Have Never Been Asian is a documentary short exploring the issue of Asians as technology. Featuring interviews with scholars and writers, it unpacks the history of how Asians came to be associated with technology, and traces this association's mutations into the political and economic climate of the late 2010s.”

ROLE: Composer

PREMIERE: April 2017, University of British Columbia Film Festival, Vancouver. 

LINK TO VIEW FILM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iahNsfAHUo&t=17s

c). Creative Output: Performances and Compositions 

Audio Visual Work/Performances

1. Audio Visual Installation  “Double Black Diamond” at Richmond Centre for the Arts, Western Michigan University, April 2025

2. Audio Visual Piece for Wonder Valley Experimental Music Festival, Wonder Valley, California USA, April 2025 

3. Audio Visual Installation  “Double Black Diamond” at Performing Media Festival, South Bend Museum of Art, Indiana, January - March 2025

4. Audio Visual Installation  “Don’t Look Back” at Performing Media Festival, South Bend Museum of Art, Indiana, January - March 2024

5. Audio Visual Piece for Wonder Valley Experimental Music Festival, Wonder Valley, California USA, April 2024