Hybrid aesthetic expressions in the design of stringed musical instruments
Based on functionality, form and aesthetics in the design of stringed musical instruments, from classic to contemporary, this thesis explores a symbiosis of two instruments, very popular and with a long history: the violin and the guitar. One of the expected results is the creation of a hybrid musical instrument, based on the defining elements of Design and construction of a violin and a guitar, giving birth to a unique instrument that complements and integrates the knowledge accumulated during the research of the first two chapters of the thesis. The aim is, thus, to conclude the investigation offering a modern result, based on a history of over 500 years of stringed musical instruments, from classical to contemporary, through a style marked by the acquisition of its own expressive specificity.
Mihai Alexandru is a graduate from the School of Mining in Petrosani (BA in Geology, MA in Project Management). Currently, he is a second year PhD student at the Faculty of Arts and Design of the West University of Timișoara. Musician, composer and guitarist for over 25 years, having toured all over the European continent, he is also an official collaborator for the development and promotion of stringed musical instruments at the Hora Factory, located in Reghin, Romania. He was awarded two gold medals for the first functional hybrid guitar prototypes at the International exhibition of inventions and innovations Traian Vuia, in Timișoara (2021), and coordinated three studies with similar results at the 2022 edition of the event.
