A first-of-its-kind creative sprint built around the Steinway Spirio: one of the world’s most advanced performance and recording pianos.

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Spirio Hackathon and Creative Challenge 2026

As part of the Steinway Spirio Residency at Purdue, the Spirio Hackathon and Creative Challenge invites students to imagine, prototype, and present bold new ideas at the intersection of music, AI, performance, interaction, education, video, and creative technology.

This is not a generic campus hackathon. It is a focused, high-energy challenge built around a singular instrument and an unusual question: what happens when a concert piano becomes a platform for invention?

Purdue is launching what may be the first public hackathon built explicitly around the Spirio name and platform. That makes this more than a weekend event. It is a chance to help define what a Spirio hackathon can be.

A Different Kind of Hackathon
The Steinway Spirio is not only a remarkable piano. It is also a creative system with possibilities for live performance, playback, capture, pedagogy, remote collaboration, visualization, and digital workflow integration.

The hackathon is designed for students who want to build things that do not usually fit inside a standard software competition. Teams or individuals can explore:

• new performance interfaces
• audience participation tools
• AI-assisted musical systems
• educational and practice tools
• visualizations of musical data
• recording, video, and DAW workflows
• accessibility concepts for piano learning
• experimental recital and installation ideas

No piano background is required. No finished idea is required. Curiosity, initiative, and collaboration matter most.

Join Us!
This event is built for students across disciplines, including but not limited to:

• music
• computer science
• engineering
• design / HCI / UI
• AI / ML
• audio technology
• media arts
• creative coding
• video and production

Participants may join individually or as teams.

What You’ll Build
Projects may be technical, artistic, experimental, or hybrid. The strongest ideas will connect meaningfully to the Spirio while pushing into new territory. Possible directions include:

• expressive performance tools
• mobile or web-based audience interaction
• piano-centered learning and feedback systems
• AI-assisted composition or practice support
• visual or spatial performance experiences
• telepresence and networked collaboration concepts
• recital-format reinventions
• tools for performers, composers, educators, or presenters

You do not need to build a polished product. A compelling prototype, proof of concept, or creative demonstration is enough.

Resource Access
Participants will have access to:

• Spirio-centered challenge prompts
• hackathon-specific sign-up blocks for Spirio access
• mentoring from faculty, artists, and technologists
• time for documentation and final video production
• visibility as part of the larger Spirio Residency closing events

Spirio Residency Launch: Show & Tell Mvt. I
The hackathon begins on April 15, 2026 with the official Launch: a welcome event, a Spirio Hackathon introduction, team formation and sign-up, and Steinway Spirio Show & Tell Mvt. I.

Spirio x PMP Show & Tell Mvt. II
On April 16, 2026, the residency continues with Spirio x PMP, featuring Steinway Spirio Show & Tell Mvt. II, hackathon challenge ideas, and continued team formation and sign-up.

What to Submit
Each team should submit:

• a project title
• a short project description
• team member names
• a short explanation of how the project connects to the Spirio
• final presentation materials
• a short demo or project video

Projects may be speculative, experimental, performative, technical, or educational. We are looking for ideas with clarity, imagination, and strong potential.

Awards
Projects will be recognized for creativity, originality, technical imagination, and artistic impact. Suggested award categories:

• Best Musical Idea
• Best Use of AI
• Best Audience Experience
• Best Educational Concept
• Best Spirio-Integrated Prototype
• People’s Choice

Winning teams will be recognized as part of the residency’s final celebrations alongside other major events in the Steinway Spirio Residency at Purdue.