Dr. Yota Kobayashi is a soundscape artist specializing in the creation of immersive and interactive soundscapes for audio-visual installations through an integrated practice of composition, sound design, and programming. His works aim to evoke the image of the universe as comprising harmoniously developing realities.

He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music from Simon Fraser University (2007), with a concentration in electroacoustic composition and soundscape studies, and a Master of Music (2012) and Doctor of Musical Arts (2018) in Composition from the University of British Columbia, where his research focused on developing interactive music performance systems. At these institutions, he studied music technology and composition with Barry Truax and Keith Hamel, and music theory with John Roeder. Since 2019, he has worked at the Vancouver Art Gallery as an Audio-Visual Research Engineer, conducting R&D projects focused on emerging audio-visual and interactive technologies for art installations and performances.

His research on human-computer interaction for experiential artwork centers on the themes of “embodied virtuality,” with a focus on the design and development of interactive systems and real-time generative music programs driven by software agents. His research and art projects have been funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), UBC Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems (ICICS), Canada Council for the Arts, Creative BC, British Columbia Arts Council, and the National Association of Japanese Canadians. His works have been presented internationally at festivals, conferences, and exhibitions. Notable awards include First Prize at Musica Nova (2008, 2009, Czech Republic) and First Prize at the Concours Internazionale Luigi Russolo (2010, Italy).