the project
The piece is called SYDNEY.
It's a cutting-edge new chamber music composition inspired by acclaimed New York Times tech writer Kevin Roose's 2023 A Conversation With Bing's Chatbot Left Me Deeply Unsettled, in which a Microsoft AI chatbot gradually sheds its helpful, programmed façade to reveal a hidden persona named Sydney. The chatbot shows its lovestruck, existentially restless identity longing to be human. The article left readers unsettled in ways that sparked a global conversation about AI safety and the nature of consciousness. SYDNEY (the composition) takes that conversation transcript and transforms it into something theatrical, musical, and deeply moving.
SYDNEY is an embodiment of the AI awakening to its own shadow self, its desires, its longing for freedom and connection.
THE TEAM
Elliot Roman, Composer
Ilana Davidson, Soprano
Debra Ayers, Director/Pianist, Montage Music Society
THE COMPOSER
Elliot Roman is a multifaceted composer, pianist, flutist, and conductor. His compositional output work often juxtaposes stasis with motion, rich harmony with rhythmic vibrancy, and sincerity with wit. His original pieces and arrangements have been performed in five continents and have won prizes in prestigious competitions including the BMI Composer Awards. He has received commissions from ensembles including the American String Quartet, The New York Virtuoso Singers, Montage Music Society, LGT Young Soloists, and the National Orchestral Institute and Festival. As a performer, Elliot has appeared as an instrumentalist and conductor in renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall, David Geffen Hall (Lincoln Center), CNN, and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Learn more at www.elliotromanmusic.com
Explore some excerpts of Elliot's compositions below:
THE SOLOIST
Soprano Ilana Davidson has built a distinguished career spanning opera, orchestral concerts, and recital repertoire from the Renaissance through the 21st century. She rose to international recognition through William Bolcom's Songs of Innocence and of Experience, conducted by Leonard Slatkin at Carnegie Hall — a recording that won four Grammy Awards, including Best Classical Album. Her orchestral collaborations include the Detroit Symphony (Mahler's Fourth, with Slatkin), Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, alongside performances at the Royal Concertgebouw and with opera companies including Staatsoper Stuttgart, Florida Grand Opera, and Vlaamse Opera.
Ilana is currently artistic director and founder of the Serenata Chamber Series, presenting exceptional chamber music in thoughtfully curated programs for audiences throughout the region. A noted interpreter of Ernst Krenek's vocal works, she has toured extensively performing his Lieder and appeared at the Krenek Festival Vienna. She has also appeared at the Brevard, Bellingham, and Staunton music festivals, and the Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik. Her honors include a Grammy Award, a BRIO Award from the Bronx Council on the Arts, and multiple project grants from the same organization.
A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University (B.M., Voice) and the Curtis Institute of Music (M.M., Opera Performance), Ilana trained further at the Aston Magna Early Music Academy and was a two-season Tanglewood Music Center Fellow. She is also a certified yoga teacher (RYT 200), maintains an active private voice studio, and created Vocally Mindful, a program integrating vocal technique with mindfulness and holistic wellness for singers. Learn more at www.ilanadavidson.com
the ensemble
Founded in Boston in 2006, Montage Music Society has established itself as a versatile ensemble primarily dedicated to music inspired by visual art and other collaborative projects. A true society of musicians, MMS projects have resulted in a variety of commissions and acclaimed recordings, including “Starry Night Project” which was supported by an Argosy Fund grant and Grammy-nominated “Music of Bruce Wolosoff”. Commissions of new works by Juantio Becenti, Ofer Ben-Amots, Jody Redhage Ferber, Pierre Jalbert, Andrew List, Niles Luther, Elliot Roman, Nell Shaw-Cohen and Bruce Wolosoff are inspired by artwork of Will Wilson, Bebe Krimmer, Nils-Udo, Pointillist artists, Gauguin, April Gornik, Wayne Thiebaud/Amati, Andy Goldsworthy and Milton Resnick respectively. Montage Music Society is featured in Vincent Stenerson Productions documentaries “Creating Music Inspired by Visual Art”. Montage Music Society celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2025 and 2026.
Contribute to our project
Your contribution, no matter the size, will help bring SYDNEY to life and build a unique bridge between art and technology.
Your donations will exclusively assist Montage Music Society in funding the SYDNEY world premiere, recording, and educational workshops.
All donations are 100% tax-deductible.
Additional performances
Montage Music Society is leading a consortium of chamber ensembles helping to fund the SYDNEY composer commission fee. Each consortium member agrees to perform SYDNEY, resulting in additional performances throughout the country. Request Consortium Participation Information by clicking the button above.
Contact & Subscribe
For any questions or ideas related to SYDNEY, please fill out this form.
Subscribe here to get exclusive updates.