Max Mathews, professor emeritus of music at the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA), died in San Francisco on April 21. He was 84 years old.

Mathews was a key figure in founding the field of computer music. In 1957, he wrote a program called “Music” that enabled an IBM 704 mainframe computer to play a 17-second composition. He furthered his research at Bell Labs in New Jersey, where he developed more sophisticated programs based on his original “Music” program.

He also developed the “Radio Baton and Conductor Program,” which was an early precursor to the handheld controllers in widespread use with game consoles today.

After retiring from Bell Labs in 1987, Mathews became a professor at CCRMA, helping to turn the center into one of the foremost research hubs for computer music. While at Stanford, he developed a number of new instruments, including an advanced electric violin.

A memorial service for Mathews will be held on May 29 at CCRMA. The Stanford Symphony Orchestra is dedicating its spring concert on May 28 to Mathews’s memory.

— Kabir Sawhney