Composing with a Roll of the Dice

Composing by Chance – A Musical Experiment at RIAS!

In the late 1950s, RIAS (Radio in the American Sector) Berlin launched an extraordinary musical experiment: well-known public figures were invited to take on the unusual challenge of composing a melody using nothing but dice!

The idea came from two young composers – one of them was Peter Thomas, who would later gain cult status as a film composer, and the other was Klaus Wüsthoff. Each number on the dice corresponded to a musical note, leaving the creative process entirely to chance. In the end, a jury selected the most successful composition.

A playful journey into the world of music – where luck, randomness, and real creativity come together!