Samuel Hertz

Samuel Hertz is a Berlin-based composer, sound-artist and researcher working at intersections of sound and climate change. Having studied composition with Pauline Oliveros, Fred Frith, Zeena Parkins and Maggi Payne at Mills College (US), Hertz works fluidly between ensemble work, electronic music and performative installations. His research practice is based in investigating connections between sound and climate, emphasizing geologic, ecologic, and social listening practices at more-than-human scales. As the first winner of the DARE Prize for Radical Interdisciplinarity, he researched infrasound alongside climate scientists, music psychologists, and paranormal investigators. With a performance premiere at Opera North (UK) in 2019, the project was comprised of lectures/guest-teaching, residencies at Visby International Center for Composers (SE), Elektronmusikstudion (SE), the University of Leeds (UK), and The Tetley (UK), and an IMAX text-film/installation at the National Science and Media Museum (UK).

Currently, Hertz collaborates with US-based sound-artist and composer Carmelo Pampillonio on “Librations”: a performance/research project utilizing Earth-Moon-Earth radio relays to create ‘Moonbounce’ recordings in conjunction with five 16-26m radio telescopes in North America and Europe. “Librations” premiered at Fylkingen (SE) in 2020, after production residencies at Elektronmusikstudion (SE), Wave Farm (US) and Pioneer Works (US). Their sculpture “Ephemeral Afterimages” is currently on-board the International Space Station for a five-year period. Alongside Berlin-based performing artist Layton Lachman, Hertz recently premiered “DOOM” —a durational performance environment conducted by a six-headed drone/doom metal band— at Sophiensaele (Berlin, DE).

As a researcher, Hertz has worked with the Berlin-based Haus der Kulturen der Welt’s “Anthropocene Curriculum” since 2016 and is the author of seven essays on sound and environment, including material in collaboration with Studio Tomás Saraceno as well within publications such as Sonic Field, Critical Path’s “Critical Dialogues” series, Temporary Art Review, and The Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts. Hertz has taught workshops on sound within artistic and research practices at Palais de Tokyo within Tomás Saraceno’s “ON AIR” exhibition, as well as at arts and academic institutions throughout Europe and the United States. Most recently, Hertz’s chapter “Hounding” on bioacoustics and slow violence has been published in the edited volume Toxic Temple (De Gruyter: part of the series “Edition Angewandte”, eds. Anna Lerchbaumer and Kilian Jörg).

As a frequent collaborator of contemporary performance-makers, Hertz has created immersive sound design installations, and live performance situations in international venues and festivals such as ImPulsTanz (AT), Tanzplattform Deutschland 2020 (DE), Macerata Opera Festival (IT), ICI/CCN (FR), Charleroi Danse (BE), Gessnerallee Zürich (CH), and NEXT Festival (FR/BE), among others.

Samuel Hertz is a participant of The School of Infinite Rehearsals of Οnassis AiR 2020-21.