Artnovion Conference

Peter D’Antonio was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1941. He earned his B.S. from St. John’s University in 1963 and his Ph.D. from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn in 1967. Over nearly three decades at the Naval Research Lab in Washington, DC, he specialised in diffraction physics while contributing widely across disciplines such as spectroscopy, diffraction, electron microscopy, software development, and architectural acoustics. Alongside his scientific career, he remained active in the music industry as a musician and recording engineer, developing in 1974 a landmark design for recording studios at Underground Sound in Maryland. In 1983, he founded RPG Diffusor Systems, Inc., where he pioneered innovative acoustic surfaces and guided the company for more than thirty years before selling it in 2017. Today, he serves as Director of Research at RPG Acoustical Systems, LLC and REDI Acoustics, LLC, continuing his dedication to critical listening room design and acoustic innovation. A pioneer of the sound diffusion industry, Dr. D’Antonio has expanded the acoustical palette with a wide range of patented and trademarked designs, from number-theoretic to fractal diffusing and absorbing surfaces. He has lectured extensively, published prolifically in peer-reviewed journals and professional magazines, and co-authored the leading reference textbook Acoustic Absorbers and Diffusers: Theory, Design and Application. He also contributed to the Master Handbook of Acoustics and the memorial volume honouring Manfred R. Schroeder. His leadership includes chairing the AES Subcommittee on Acoustics, contributing to international ISO standards, and teaching as an adjunct professor at the Cleveland Institute of Music since 1991. A Fellow of both the Acoustical Society of America and the Audio Engineering Society, he was inducted into the TECnology Hall of Fame in 2012. He is also President and Founder of the Chesapeake Acoustic Research Institute, continuing his mission to advance education, research, and experimentation in acoustics.

Always having an interest in the way music was made, PK has spent the last 30 years immersed in the professional audio industry. PK has managed and had oversight in hundreds of projects, focusing on quality assurance and client relationships. Born in India, and moving to Amherst at the age of three, PK has been a lifelong (more or less) resident of Massachusetts.PK is one of the most creative, entrepreneurial people in the industry. He forges strong, long-term relationships with both clients and vendors. He was the founder of GCPRO, Guitar Center’s B2B division, and essential in building it to a $60M+ sub-unit of the aforementioned. With numerous business leadership awards, PK has also been honored with 12 Platinum & Gold records by all the artist projects he has been involved in. From Aerosmith to Lenny Kravitz to John Mayer, it's clear that collaborative relationships are of supernal importance to him.Being very active in the audio industry and owning a commercial studio in Boston, Mad Oak Recording, PK is current with all emerging technologies, ensuring the elegance of design while keeping the solution scalable for the future.PK's experience brings a fresh approach, boundless energy, and unique management style to the team for growth and success.

Dr Bruno Fazenda is an Associate Professor (Reader) at the Acoustics Research Centre, University of Salford, UK. Bruno graduated with a PhD in Room Acoustics and Psychoacoustics from the same University. Working in acoustics since 2000, his research interests span room acoustics, sound reproduction and auditory perception, in particular, the assessment of how an acoustic environment, technology or psychological state impacts on the perception of sound.

Donato Masci is a well-established designer and consultant in acoustics and electro-acoustics and is a Technical Expert in Acoustics and member of UNI/ISO, regularly participating in commissions to drafting new Italian regulations in acoustics and electro-acoustics. He began his career assisting Fabrizio Giovannozzi and has personally overseen all Studio Sound Service projects since 2008. In 2012 he became CEO and Technical Director of the company where he still operate alongside partners Cecilia Torracchi, Giulia Bondielli, as well as other professionals. Studio Sound Service was founded in 1983 and is currently the most active Italian engineering firm in the design of environments for music and audio/video production, having received international awards and prizes (Resolution Award 2014, 2015, 2016). In 2019 he began his collaboration with Andy Munro (Munro Acoustics) establishing a strong partnership for the design of post-production facilities worldwide that primarily work for Disney. To date, Donato Masci has designed more than 200 recording and audio-video (post) production studios. He has collaborated with important architectural and engineering firms for the acoustics design of churches, theaters, auditoriums, conference rooms, offices and residential home theaters. Numerous Studio Sound Service projects have been reviewed by Italian and international magazines (Resolution, Headliner, PSNEurope, Connessioni, Audiofader, Sound & Lite, Musicoff). In 2021, Studio Sound Service was selected by Dolby as the first (and only) company in Italy authorized to perform commissioning for the Dolby Atmos Music program. Donato Masci regularly collaborates with Genelec and Dolby on multichannel audio systems. He is also a consultant of B&C Speakers (+ Sound Architecture), Powersoft and K-Array for the their product research and development. He is an adjunct professor for the Acoustics course at the Faculty of Applied Physics at the University of Florence and for the Acoustics and Psychoacoustics course at the Fiesole Music School. He has held seminars and lectures and taught professional training courses, university Master’s programs (Multimedia Content Design organized by the University of Florence and Rai), Assoacustici, the Order of Engineers of the Province of Rimini, and music training centers (Percorsi Audio, Siena Jazz, MusicLab, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Conservatories of Florence and Lecce, AudioForum Connessioni, School of Music of Fiesole). He has been a speaker at several A.E.S. (Audio Engineering Society) and AIA (Italian Acoustics Association) conferences and has been a co-supervisor for several degree theses in Engineering and Architecture. For years, Donato Masci was a regular editor of the English magazine Resolution, a leader in professional audio, and has written for important Italian industry magazines such as Connessioni, Audiofader and Sound & Lite.

Having lived in the United Arab Emirates for 15 years and worked across, design, architecture research and events, Jonathan has a unique perspective on how global design expertise meets a local market, and the role culture plays in designing for the future. The Ripple Collective is a community of creative projects, businesses and adventures all based in Abu Dhabi. We think for purpose and design for impact, energized by brave ideas but also by making them happen. The Ripple Collective is: Slash - Multidisciplinary Design Studio Fabrica - Interdisciplinary Makering Platform Fount - Curated Concept Store; Central - Logistic Platform. The Ripple Collective is a community of design-focused projects, businesses and adventures all based in Abu Dhabi.

Chris Neto, CTS, is a 25-year AV industry professional and Head of Emerging Markets at Midwich. With a deep technical background and strategic expertise, he seamlessly bridges AV technology, business growth, and community engagement. An award-winning AV professional, Chris is widely recognized for his innovative approach to social media and brand-building within the AV industry. As the founder of #AVinTheAM, a highly regarded weekly Twitter (X) chat, he has created dynamic forums (expanded to LinkedIn and Bluesky platforms) where AV professionals, integrators, manufacturers, and thought leaders exchange insights, trends, and challenges shaping the industry.Beyond social engagement, Chris is a natural storyteller and industry influencer. Through podcasts, social media campaigns, and industry events, he continuously pushes the boundaries of how AV professionals connect, collaborate, and evolve. His ability to foster meaningful conversations and build online communities has positioned him as a key voice driving the future of AV.

Graduated and holds a master’s degree in Civil Engineering, postgraduate in Project Management, and has completed the Advanced Programme in BuildTech at IE – Exponential Learning. He began his professional career as a project manager. He was responsible for organising a department for coordination and management of works at A400 – Engineering Designers and Consultants and, in 2009, took on the role of Operations Director at Imorendimento – Real Estate Investment Fund Management Company, where, from 2016, he also assumed the position of Executive Director of APARC – Parking Management. He is currently General Director of Macair – Project Management and Retube – Technological Solutions, working as a consultant and project manager in the real estate, asset management, civil construction, and public works sectors. He was a member of CT 192 of IPQ, coordinated by APFM, for the implementation of EN 15221 – Facility Management.

Rui Calejo Rodrigues (born 1960 in Vila Real, Portugal) is an Associate Professor in Civil Engineering at the University of Porto (FEUP). He earned his Licenciatura in Civil Engineering (1983), his Master’s degree in Building Construction (1989), and his PhD in Civil Engineering (2003), all from FEUP. He teaches and conducts research in the areas of building maintenance, building acoustics, post-occupancy evaluation, facility management, urban noise, and sound transmission (including flanking transmission in historical buildings). He is involved with research groups NI&DEA and GEQUALTEC under the CONSTRUCT institute at FEUP. He has authored and co-authored numerous publications, including books, technical manuals, and journal articles; among recent works are studies on urban quiet areas, flanking sound transmission in heritage buildings, and maintenance strategies in educational and residential buildings. He has also supervised many Master’s theses in topics such as building maintenance, acoustic performance of heritage buildings, decision support for building inspection, and quality control in building works.

Born in Portugal in 1974, Octávio Inácio completed his degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto in 1997. His musical career as a classical guitarist and the academic degree in engineering led him to the Master in Acoustics and Vibration (MSc in Sound & Vibration Studies), by the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR) at the University of Southampton, England. In 1999 he began working as an acoustic consultant for a market leader in the field of acoustics in Portugal. Two years later he was invited to teach Musical and Architectural Acoustics at the Superior School for Music and Performing Arts of the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, where he was also Director of the Musical Acoustics Laboratory. His continued activity as an independent acoustic consultant led him to establish his company – InAcoustics – in 2004. After completing his Doctorate (PhD in Sound and Vibration Studies) at the University of Southampton in 2009, he obtained the title of Specialist Engineer in Acoustics by the Portuguese Engineers Association where he is the coordinator of the Acoustic Engineering Specialization Committee. Author and co-author of more than 40 scientific papers published in international journals and conference proceedings in several fields in Acoustics, Octávio dedicates some of his time to teaching Architectural Acoustics and, mostly, to consultancy in Acoustical Engineering.

João Bessa holds a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering, with a specialization in Processes and Product, from the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto. Throughout his career, he has been part of development teams for various projects and products in the fields of engineering, composites, and fibrous materials, at companies such as SIR, CITEVE, and, more recently, at Fibrenamics, where he has been since 2015 and currently serves as Technology Manager. He is the author of more than 25 scientific publications and the inventor of 4 patents.

Joana Neves da Silva is a civil engineer with postgraduate studies in Acoustics and Fire Safety. Currently, she is engaged in the LivingLab architectural project of the DST Group, based in Braga, which has been included in Norman Foster’s major retrospective exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. Due to the purpose and significance of the project recognised by Norman Foster, he and his multidisciplinary team are developing the conceptual design of construction systems, as well as modular and prefabrication solutions.ected for display at the Norman exhibition at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

From Portugal to the Netherlands, then Hong Kong and back to Portugal, Kito has been immersed in wide ranging and diverse work and cultural settings. His collaborative approach has served him well as a manager and a consultant, where he successfully found consensus and win-win situations in the multiple projects he has worked on. He led a multidisciplinary engineering office in Hong Kong where he directly reported to the CEO, and in 2015 started a new Acoustics consultancy service within Atkins, a global consulting engineering company. There he led the service by delivering solid work, managing his international collaborators’ deliverables remotely while securing a consistent pipeline, engaging with clients and cross-selling Atkins’ wider services. Currently Kito has branched out, working as an Acoustics Consultant under his own company, Arkoustic. He negotiates contracts, seeks out business leads and ensures projects are delivered on time and on budget. By the end of 2021 he completed his MBA in HKUST to leverage his experience and acquired knowledge to effect real change and drive success based on a solid work ethic, problem-solving skills, and a collaborative approach.

Artur Zorzo was born in 1994 in Brasília, Brazil. In 2012, in an effort to make better recordings of his band, he completed a professional audio course and instantly fell in love with acoustics after a lecture on the subject. In 2018, he received a B.S in Acoustic Engineering from the Federal University of Santa Maria. He published several papers while in university. Most of them in the areas of real-time audio signal processing and acoustic measurements. For his undergraduate thesis, he researched and developed an active noise control system for headphones using real-time adaptive digital filters. In 2018, for his internship, he worked on the geometrical and acoustical optimization of ambisonic microphones. From 2019 to the beginning of 2021 he worked at Devialet as a signal processing R&D engineer in the development of signal processing algorithms for active noise-canceling earbuds. A patent was filed based on his works on the Ear Active Matching (EAM) algorithm. The EAM system automatically tunes the signal of the music to the shape of an individual’s inner ear. In parallel to that, he worked on the acoustic implementation of MEMS microphones on the products.

Jorge started his career as an acoustic engineer specialized in product development. Jorge has been working for more than 15 years in the field with the privilege to serve clients such as BBC, ITV, Microsoft Seattle, Google, Simply Red Studios, Jon Cohen, Macklemore, Rodney Studios, Ableton Studios, etc. Jorge is founder and CEO of ARTNOVION – a new technological approach with ubiquitous design, mastered to bring a new set of acoustic treatment solutions and user sound experiences. Jorge has a degree in Music Production and Technologies from ESMAE (IPP, Portugal) and a MSc/PG in Audio Acoustics from Salford University (UK).