Denver International Festival of Arts & Technology (DIFAT)
An annual international festival that celebrates and showcases the combining of arts and digital technologies in a manner that will forever change entertainment content for all audiences.
Chairman's MESSAGE
Whereas art has always been innate to Man’s nature from the Beginning, science will always elevate art in the future. All human creative expression has been indelibly altered by the advent of digital technologies. We are only at the threshold of a technology revolution that will affect the arts and the appreciation of such art in a manner that will test our imagination.
Once digital science is brought to bear on arts, especially musical art, it will invariably raise questions as to what is authentic and what is artificial. Technology has the unique and undeniable capacity to alter and amplify artistic expression. Its application to the arts will always question artistic authenticity and lead to debates on whether such digital-age affectation of traditional art would represent degradation rather than elevation. Therefore, modern technologies like electronic and digital enhancement, artificial intelligence and even advances in robotics will all blur the line between the real and the unreal. Rejecting the role of technology in the arts while clinging to the superiority of pure human creativity and authenticity has become moot. The impact of science on the arts is here to stay. Going forward, we are only obliged to use digital science to change it in a manner that brings more joy and entertainment to the audience at large. If modern technologies applied to the arts can widen audience appeal or provide more opportunities for creative expression for our youth, then the digital age will serve humanity well in this regard.
The Denver International Festival of Arts & Technology (DIFAT) sponsored by the Dennis Law Companies recognizes and celebrates the symbiosis between arts and science. This annual summer festival hopes to demonstrate the best balance between arts and technology in our technology-inspired productions, new format competitions and unique educational camps and workshops. By doing so, we hope to inspire the future creation of the most entertaining and imaginative art forms for the betterment of mankind.
Dennis Law MD
Chairman, Denver International Festival of Arts & Technology
President, Dennis Law Companies
About
Art without technology lacks design;
Technology without humanity lacks conscience
Throughout history, even though arts is intrinsically in man’s nature, science will always elevate the arts in all its forms. The annual Denver International Festival of Arts and Technology will serve to elevate public awareness of how digital science will forever enhance the arts and contribute to its education and research and general use.
The annual Denver International Festival of Arts & Technology (DIFAT) 2020 will comprise of the following categories:
1. Innovative and unique electro-acoustic musical productions
2. The third annual Denny Awards for electro-acoustic music
The Denver International Festival of Arts & Technology 2019 featured performances and competitions held at the Robert and Judy Newman Center for Performing Arts at the University of Denver from July 25nd to July 31st, 2019. Collaborating partners of the Festival includes the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Center for Music and Technology, the College of Arts and Media of the University of Colorado at Denver, Colorado School of Mines and the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing.
All DIFAT’s events and competitions are designed to promote the use of and foster the expertise in electro-acoustic musical creations. Festival productions feature the unprecedented manner in which digital technologies can alter and improve musical concerts and theatrical productions. In Denny Awards competitions, the purpose is to promote international interest in electro-acoustic music by creating in the competitions an atmosphere of collegiality, respect and fairness. Denny Awards’ international caliber juries judge all competitions in a blinded fashion without knowledge of the competitors’ name, professional/academic standing or institutional affiliation.
Ms. Butterfly
Ms. Butterfly
Ms. Butterfly
Ms Butterfly is conceived as a futuristic adaptation of the original Madama Butterfly in which, about fifty years from now, an American young heiress will be similarly betrayed by a Chinese naval captain and will share the ultimate tragic fate. All the characters in the original story are reversed ethnically, revealing that human passion and tragedy can befall anyone regardless of time, race or national boundaries.
War and Peace
Ms. Butterfly
Ms. Butterfly
War & Peace’s Total Music concept goes way beyond “World Music” or “Fusion Music”. By taking advantage of ever-evolving advances in electronic music and new digital technologies, Total Music productions provide various combinations of impactful visuals, immersive and innovative sounds, culturally diverse artistry and unprecedented entertainment value.
KUNG FU ORGAN
Ms. Butterfly
KUNG FU ORGAN
Kung Fu Organ is a Total Music production that features the North American premiere concert of the advanced Electone electronic organ. A modern electronic musical instrument that is extremely popular in China and Japan, it is virtually unknown in North America. No public performances by an American keyboard artist for these electones have been recorded in the United States until two Yamaha Stagea electones were donated to the Law Institute by Dr. Dennis Law in the summer of 2017.
2019 Denny Awards
2019 DENNY AWARDS MEMBERS OF JURY
Ting Chaowen, Jin Tao, Laurence Kaptain, Robert Klimek, Jordan Rudess, Zhou Jiaojiao, Dennis Law, Wang Ge, Kenny Passerelli, Cecilia Wu