The AES mission is to promote the science and practice of audio, by bringing leading people and ideas together
The Audio Engineering Society is the only professional society devoted exclusively to audio technology. Founded in the United States in 1948, the AES has grown to become an international organization that unites audio engineers, creative artists, scientists and students worldwide by promoting advances in audio and disseminating new knowledge and research.
AES President's message
Agnieszka Roginska, President
It is an honor and a privilege to begin my term as President of the Audio Engineering Society – the world’s leading society of audio professionals, creative artists, scientists, educators and students.
I'm a musician, a researcher of immersive audio, and a professor. Joining the AES 20 years ago as a student, I recognized that the AES was a central hub for advanced learning and connecting with fellow students, experts, and my audio idols. As I began working in the audio industry, the AES became an incredible resource to continue learning, exchanging ideas, advancing my skills, and networking. Since joining academia in 2006, the AES has been a deep well of information from which my students and I can draw information on the historical origins of audio as well as the latest ground-breaking research. Working with students and professionals to reach their highest potential, I integrate the AES as a powerful medium to accomplish this goal. When I became involved in the AES as a volunteer, I realized how interconnected we all are in the audio industry, and how we all develop, grow and enhance our expertise through this interconnection with one another. Being an AES member truly changed the course of my career.
This is an amazing time for audio! In the past few years, audio has seen tremendous growth in breadth and reach throughout many facets of the industry. The definition of the “audio engineering” has gone beyond our traditional definition which, in the past, has included disciplines such as recording, production, broadcast and live sound. But now, audio has a farther reaching presence – whether you’re listening to music on one of your many devices, enjoying a live-streamed concert, immersing yourself in a video game, communicating with colleagues or playing music with friends on the other side of the planet, experiencing virtual, augmented and future reality, or controlling your smart home, just to name a few of audio’s many modern facets. Audio research extends into sensor networks in smart cities, tracking wildlife migration patterns, understanding how people communicate, and defining future technologies that will enable us to collaborate, interact, and to make and experience music in novel ways. Audio is everywhere and its use in our daily lives is increasing.
The core of our Society is You, our member! The AES has a history spanning more than 70 years, reflecting our collective commitment to audio, and to the future. The AES belongs to all of us. One of my goals in 2020 is to build membership and continue to recognize that we are a diverse community of members – whether you are a student just exploring the world of audio, a young professional entering the workforce and growing in experience, in mid-career maintaining your skills while learning new ones in our rapidly changing industry, or a seasoned professional who wants to give back to the community as a mentor. Fostering diversity will make us a stronger Society. We have already made significant moves forward in increasing the diversity of our AES – welcoming diverse genres and emerging audio fields, improving accessibility, and focusing on the inclusiveness of all genders, races, ages and nationalities. We will continue this great work in 2020, learning from an expanded member base just how diverse our community is as we help each other grow and prosper.
I look forward to a year of partnership with you, all our fellow members and dedicated volunteers, working together with our AES Board of Directors, Board of Governors, Technical Committees, HQ staff, and Executive Director Colleen Harper. We will continue the momentum and build on the successes started by those who have come before us shaping the future of our Audio Engineering Society.
Agnieszka Roginska, PhD
President