Preparatory Work:
First Steps in Darmstadt and Zürich (1985-1992)

From 1984 to 1986, Guerino Mazzola was the scientific director of the symmetry exhibition and symposion in Darmstadt, where he first realized visualization and popularization of concepts and results from Mathematical Music Theory--as elaborated by Mazzola in his 1981 University lectures and his first more sketchy book “Gruppen und Kategorien in der Musik”, published 1985 by Heldermann. The work of popularization was performed in collaboration with the Technische Universität Darmstadt, and in particular with Georg Rainer Hofmann, at that time a PhD student of professor Jose Encarnaçao.

From 1987 to 1989, a joint project of Mazzola with Hofmann at the Fraunhofer-IGD in Darmstadt was launched, sponsored by private investors, upon a recommendation by Herbert von Karajan, and targeting at a composition software called MDZ71 for ATARI. Later, this software was commercially distributed in several hundred copies. The software was also presented to Karajan in 1988.

As these efforts matured, the idea of a “Big Science in Music”, paired with its realization in form of a corresponding institute, became virulent. During a countryside walk, Hofmann and Mazzola plaid for the creation of an association for the advancement of an institute for fundamental research in music.

Meanwhile the first systematic treatment of Mathematical Music Theory (MaMuTh) “Geometrie der Töne” was published in 1990 by Birkhäuser. This gave a theoretical background to the ideas promoted thus far.

The IFM Association:
The Period Preceding the General Proliferation of the Internet Technology (1992-1999)

In 1992 an interest group was built with the target to find persons who support the idea and the foundation of the said association.

In Summer 1993, such an association, named “Verein zur Gründung eines Insitituts für Grundlagenforschung in der Musik” was established. Among the initial members were, besides Guerino Mazzola and Christina Mazzola, the statis-