Dr. Yota Kobayashi is a Japanese-Canadian soundscape artist and creative technologist specializing in the creation of immersive and interactive audio-visual installations through an integrated practice of sound production, composition, and software development. His works seek to evoke a vision of the universe as a constellation of harmoniously evolving realities.

He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music from Simon Fraser University in 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 University of British Columbia. He studied music technology and composition with Barry Truax and Keith Hamel, and music theory with John Roeder. His research and artistic practice explore the concept of “embodied virtuality” through the design and development of interactive systems, generative musical agents, and real-time environments in which experiential phenomena emerge through interactions between audiences and computationally mediated systems.

Kobayashi is currently a Researcher (Full Member) at the Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems, where he conducts research into immersive and interactive technologies for experiential artwork. He also serves as Digital Media Technician in the Department of Art History, Visual Art and Theory and Adjunct Professor in Music Technology at the University of British Columbia. In parallel with his institutional work, he is the Artistic Director of Formscape Arts Society, fostering interdisciplinary digital art collaborations between Canada and Japan.

His research and artistic projects have been supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Institute for Computing, Information and Cognitive Systems, the Canada Council for the Arts, Creative BC, the British Columbia Arts Council, and the National Association of Japanese Canadians. His works have been presented internationally at festivals, conferences, galleries, and museums across North America, Europe, and Asia. Notable recognitions include First Prize at the Musica Nova (2008, 2009, Czech Republic) and First Prize at the Concorso Internazionale Luigi Russolo (2010, Italy).