Lamus is the first computer program to produce original scores for contemporary classical music. The technology is so convincing that even the London Symphony Orchestra has recorded scores composed by it.

Next time you go to a classical concert, check the list of composers. You might not be listening to Mozart, but rather Iamus, the first computer program capable of creating classical sheetmusic. Even experts can't tell it apart from works composed by humans.

Software consultant and pianist Gustavo Diaz-Jerez said, "Creativity in the computer comes from the fact that the algorithm is inspired in biological processes. That's why it works."

Taken from the Greek mythological figure who could talk to birds, Iamus was developed by the University of Malaga, known as Spain's Silicon Valley. The musical project arose from work in artificial intelligence.

Francisco Vico, leader of Iamus team, said, "Iamus is the first computer that has mastered the musical language so that it can produce original scores for contemporary classical music. Of a huge variety that can be directly interpreted by musicians and also that cannot be differentiated from original works - from human works."

Once the computer is given some basic musical information, it's able to compose an infinite number of tunes.

Vico said, "Iamus is fed only with information - about what instruments have to be put into the composition and what will be the approximate duration of the work."

The UK's London Symphony Orchestra has recorded a dozen of the computer scores.

Lennox McKenzie, chairman of London Symphony Orchestra, said, "This is the first time that the LSO has played a piece of music actually written by a computer. And this is very unusual."

The Iamus team is just beginning to discover what their technology can do. However, no matter how sophisticated Iamus's music may become, it will not remove the need for humans to interpret it and give it emotion.

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