One of the first known electronic musical instruments, the theremin has seen a remarkable century as the otherworldly sound adored in film and TV soundtracks, a staple of avant-garde music, and a sonic companion for groundbreaking moments in world history. To commemorate the instrument’s 100th anniversary, pioneering electronic musical instrument company Moog Music introduces Claravox Centennial—a celebration of the theremin’s past, present, and future.
This year marks the 100-year anniversary of Leon Theremin’s eponymous invention—an electronic musical instrument that changed the course of music history and ultimately led to Dr. Bob Moog’s development of the Moog modular synthesizer. To commemorate this milestone, the world’s leading producer of theremins unveils a new limited-edition instrument: Claravox Centennial.
Claravox Centennial is an elite performance theremin developed by Moog Music in celebration of the theremin’s past, present, and future. This new offering draws on the company’s decades of experience building electronic musical instruments that honor the beauty and simplicity of traditional circuit design while continuing to innovate for creative artists.
Named as a tribute to the original theremin virtuosa, Clara Rockmore, Claravox Centennial offers the highest quality control and sound available in a theremin for today’s top performers and aspiring thereminists.
Claravox Centennial is the most versatile Moog theremin in history. Switchable Traditional and Modern performance modes allow players to select between classic heterodyne analog oscillators and multimode DSP oscillators (sine, triangle, saw, wavetable) with assignable scales, quantization, and octave ranges. An analog wave-shaping circuit (derived from the legendary Etherwave Pro) imbues ethereal sonic character and empowers rich sound-sculpting possibilities, and the on-board analog BBD delay creates a wash of spiraling echoes and resounding warmth.
An instrument designed with exceptional playability to satisfy the most skillful thereminist, Claravox Centennial invites access to multiple levels of calibration and control settings to create a custom fit between this unique instrument and each unique player. Artists will appreciate the many thoughtful details included in the instrument’s design, such as DIN MIDI, USB, and CV inputs and outputs for integrating with DAWs or controlling external sound sources; front-panel preset storage for instant recall of your favorite sounds and settings; pitch quantization and scale selections to help educate newer players; and a dedicated software editor to further expand the instrument’s control and sonic capabilities.
Featuring brass antennas, cloth-bound control panels, and a beautiful fine-grain walnut hardwood cabinet, Claravox Centennial utilizes carefully curated materials to pay homage to the hand-crafted history of the theremin. Combine with the optional Claravox Centennial Theremin Stand for the ultimate statement piece.
Set among the baroque architecture and expansive gardens of Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, French musician Grégoire Blanc channels theremin marvel Clara Rockmore in a stunning performance of Claude Debussey’s “Clair de Lune” alongside pianist Orane Donnadieu. This tribute to the timeless classical duets of Rockmore and her sister, pianist Nadia Reisenberg, captures the beauty of the theremin’s distinct tone and personality—characteristics that will continue to captivate audiences into the next century.