Atlanta competition showcases instruments shaping the sound of the future

ATLANTA, Ga. - The Amphibian Modules. The Demon Box. Fiddle Henge.

No, these aren’t the names of popular book series or upcoming fantasy films. They’re musical instruments — and they’re already shaping the sound of the future.

Those three innovative instruments and seven others are finalists in this year’s Guthman Musical Instrument Competition, which is happening Friday, March 13th and Saturday, March 14th at Georgia Tech’s Ferst Center for the Arts. The competition has become a prestigious and highly-anticipated annual event, attracting inventors and musicians from around the world with a single mission: come up with music’s next great instrument. The results are always surprising and fascinating, challenging the way we think about music and expanding the possibilities for what music will sound like in the future.

This year’s finalists have all traveled to the Georgia Tech campus — attending the competition in person is a requirement — and will present their work to a panel of judges before performing a public concert at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday night. And the judges have a tough job; they’ll be awarding $10,000 in prizes to the competitors, who represent countries including India, Ecuador, Poland, and the United States. Along with being an important event for The School of Music at Georgia Tech, the final concert is also on the schedule for this year’s Atlanta Science Festival, which launched March 7th and runs through March 21st and consists of more than 100 events held throughout the city.

Tickets for the 2026 Guthman Musical Instrument Competition are $18 and available for purchase here. Georgia Tech’s Ferst Center for the Arts is located at 349 Ferst Drive in Atlanta.