RENCON: toward a new evaluation method for performance rendering systems

Evaluating computer music research from the system point of view has not been established because of the subjective nature of music. In order for such research areas to evolve and prosper, we believe the evaluation method based on objective understanding is essential. We started and propel RENCON (performance rendering concours), a world-wide-landmark-project tobe, in order to seek and propose an evaluation method for music systems taking performance rendering system as the typical research of manipulating Kansei information. Musicians and musicologists also expect to see the result of the project in how to describe music analysis and cognition objectively. Futhermore by letting people be widely consious of the project, we hope RENCON to enlight people on the computer music research, encourage them to participate it, and enpower the research itself. In this paper we will report the activities of RENCON and its majestic goal.