Coventry University building to be named after electronic music pioneer Delia Derbyshire – News

A Coventry University building has been named after the late electronic music pioneer Delia Derbyshire in honor of her life and work.

Coventry University’s new College of Arts and Society building opened last week, now called the Delia Derbyshire Building, to commemorate the Coventry-born pioneer.

After plans for the building were unveiled in 2022, with a projected opening date of 2023, university dean Shaun Hide said he hoped to find “the next Delia Derbyshire and 100 others doing things we can’t even imagine yet”.

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Delia Derbyshire was born in Coventry in 1937. After studying mathematics and music at Cambridge University, her pioneering work led to a position at BBCHis radio studio.

Derbyshire continued to co-compose Doctor who theme song and became recognized for its signature sound. She was eventually dubbed the “Sound Sculpture” after her death in 2001.

The new university building will honor Derbyshire’s life and work, encouraging students to experiment with sound. “That idea of ​​experimentation between generations of technology is a really creative force that these students are brilliant at harnessing,” Hides said.

“Delia was so involved in the story of the town, being influenced by the air raid sirens that she heard as a child living in Coundon,” he explained.

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The building houses metal and woodworking spaces, digital technology suites and post-production studios, according to BBCwith upcoming events including a panel from BBC Radio 6 DJ Stuart Maconie, DJ sets, talks and sound masterclasses.

The launch of the building was planned by a group of enthusiasts called Deliaphonic, who over the years have helped host events in honor of the late electronic music pioneer.

In 2016, a street in Coventry was named after Derbyshire. The following year, he was awarded an honorary doctorate posthumously.

(Via BBC)

Gemma Ross is Assistant Editor of Mixmag, follow her on Twitter