Michael Hersch – Past Concerts

A composer of "uncompromising brilliance" (The Washington Post) whose work has been described by The New York Times as "viscerally gripping and emotionally transformative music ... claustrophobic and exhilarating at once, with moments of sublime beauty nestled inside thickets of dark virtuosity," Michael Hersch is widely considered among the most gifted composers of his generation.

Recent events and premieres include productions of his opera "Poppaea" at the Wien Modern and ZeitRäume Basel Festivals; and his Violin Concerto, commissioned by Patricia Kopatchinskaja and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, at the Lucerne and the Avanti Festivals. His acclaimed two-act monodrama, "On the Threshold of Winter," has had performances in New York, Baltimore, Chicago, Salt Lake City, and Washington D.C.

Recent commissions include his elegy "I hope we get a chance to visit soon" at the Ojai and Aldeburgh Festivals, and his work Agatha, which had premiere performances in Bern and Geneva as part of Hersch's residency with the Camerata Bern. Major projects in 22/23 include those for Ensemble Phoenix Basel, and a new opera for Sarah Maria Sun, Schola Heidelberg, and Ensemble Musikfabrik.