Will machines take over classical music? In a guest column for Limelight, composer David Stanhope explained how he uses a digital orchestra to bring to life neglected music – without the expense of hiring human musicians – but he’s not the only one exploring the role machines can play in the classical music world. At the Meet in Beijing Arts Festival in China, robot pianist TeoTronico struck another blow for the machines, beating out his long-time sparring partner Roberto Prosseda in a piano battle judged by audience applause.

TeoTronico – who can play a mean Flight of the Bumble Bee and has collaborated with the likes of Lang Lang – made his debut with the Berlin Philharmoniker under the baton of Michelangelo Galeati in 2012. The robot was built by Italian inventor Matteo Suzzi and has many advantages of his human counterparts, not least his 53 fingers. But how does he stack up against human players in performance? This is the question his long-time musical sparring partner Italian pianist Roberto Prosseda has been asking in concerts with TeoTronico around...