Wolfgang Hess

Timeline

1. 1992–2002

   Advising Bonn doctorates

   At the University of Bonn, Hess advises Bernd Möbius's doctoral thesis on a quantitative model of German intonation, with analysis and synthesis of fundamental frequency contours, completed in 1992. In 2002, Petra Wagner earns a Bonn doctorate on the prediction and perception of German stress patterns, supervised by Hess.

2. 1994

   A three-channel pitch algorithm

   In 1994, Hess presents a three-channel pitch determination algorithm at the 3rd International Conference on Spoken Language Processing. It combines a short-term analysis with two time-domain methods that locate glottal closures, and one of those methods applies a neural network. First results show it works for accurate pitch period determination of running speech and for voice-jitter measurement.

3. 1998–2001

   Chairing the speech synthesis SIG

   In 1998, ESCA approves its first special interest group, on speech synthesis, and Hess of the University of Bonn chairs the temporary steering committee. In 2001, Hess coauthors a Eurospeech paper with Nick Campbell, Bernd Möbius and Jan van Santen on the constitution and activities of the group, SynSIG.

4. 1999–2005

   ISCA Board member

   From 1999 to 2005, Hess serves on the ISCA Board, as Secretary on the 1999–2001 board and then as the board member for the Archive on the 2001–2005 board. The 2005–2007, 2007–2009 and 2009–2011 boards each count Hess as an ex-officio member for the archive.

5. 2000

   A sixtieth-birthday volume

   In 2000, Walter Sendlmeier edits Speech and Signals: Aspects of Speech Synthesis and Automatic Speech Recognition, Forum Phoneticum No. 69, published by Hector in Frankfurt am Main. The volume is dedicated to Wolfgang Hess on turning 60.

6. 2005

   A Saras Institute interview

   In 2005, Janet Baker interviews Hess at Interspeech 2005, the 9th European Conference on Speech Communication and Technology, in Lisbon, for the Saras Institute's History of Speech and Language Technology project.

7. 2006

   The Bonn Open Synthesis System

   In January 2006, Hess joins Stefan Breuer, Hannes Rohde and Michal Holcik as a named member of the University of Bonn Phonetics group announcing BOSS 3, the Bonn Open Synthesis System. BOSS is free unit selection speech synthesis software under the GPL, built as a modular, extensible client/server application with tools for creating new voices.

8. 2009

   ISCA Fellow and emeritus professor

   In 2009, ISCA names Hess a Fellow in recognition of contributions to pitch determination and speech synthesis, service to ISCA as Board member, and creation of the ISCA Archive. A seat on the ISCA Advisory Council, with a term ending in December 2010, goes to Hess of the University of Bonn. In August 2009, Hess is Emeritus Professor of Phonetics in Bonn, where Bernd Möbius holds the chair.