Theremin’s 100th Anniversary – I’m in Love with The Theremin

To celebrate theremin’s 100th anniversary (1920 – 2020), we made this T-shirt depicting the hero of all lovers of “ether music,” our beloved Leon Theremin, while he’s playing one of the first models of his instrument. Below the drawing, there is a declaration of love for the theremin. That said, let’s go back to chasing ether waves.

Leon Theremin and the thereminvox

Lev Sergeyevich Termen, also known as Leon Theremin (1896 – 1993), was a Russian inventor who, in 1920, invented a musical instrument called the thereminvox or, more simply, theremin. Besides being the first electronic musical instrument in history, the theremin is the only instrument that does not require physical contact. You play it by moving your hands within a magnetic field electronically-generated.
The sound of the theremin varies depending on the model and manufacturer. And it can sound like a human voice (but with a range that no singer could ever reach) or like a violin or a cello.
Movie soundtracks have often used the theremin, and, in the last thirty years, it has enjoyed a real renaissance. Many talented musicians have embraced the instrument. And events and publications have increased.
In 1993, was released an intriguing documentary about the life of Leon Theremin: “Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey.”
Learn more about Leon Theremin’s life by reading this article: “Lev Sergeyevich Termen: The Inventor of the Theremin.”
Hear how the theremin sounds by listening to some of the many tracks contained in our Thereminvox Library.
Find out more about the protagonists of theremin music by browsing the “People” section of our site.