Brigitta Muntendorf
In her works, German-Austrian composer Brigitta Muntendorf creates a sound cosmos of analogue-digital expression with her often large-format music, dance theatre or 3D-sound projects. She explores the fragility of our techno-social and socio-political reality and develops new concepts of Radical Listening, Environmental Storytelling and Immersive Theater in instrumental to audiovisual (AR)/3D audio productions and trans-digital music and dance theater.
Her compositions include ARCHIPEL (commissioned by Ruhrtriennale, Theater der Welt/Tanz im August, 2021), a project with dance company MOUVOIR and architect Sou Fujimoto, and MELENCOLIA (commissioned by Bregenzer Festspiele 2022, Hollandfestival 2024, Berliner Festspiele 2025), a trans-digital music theatre for Ensemble Modern. In 2023, she presented ORBIT – A War Series at the Biennale di Venezia. Praised as “a powerful exploration of the dramas of war” (Rolling Stone), the 3D-Audio space oratorium for AI-Voice Clones and electronics explores the wars against the female body in reference to Nancy Spero’s War Series. It was presented by Elbphilharmonie, European Center for the Arts Hellerau, KunstFestSpiele Herrehausen or State Opera Berlin.
Muntendorf is recipient of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation’s Young Composer’s Prize and the German Music Authors’ Prize. In 2023, the recording of her Trilogy for two pianos was awarded with the German Record Critics’ Award. Her works are presented at international music and art festivals such as Kyoto Experiment, ULTIMA Oslo, Donaueschinger Musiktage, Wiener Festwochen, Munich Biennial, Hollandfestival or Festival d'Automne Paris. Her current research happens in scientific-artistic collaborations with partners such as d&b audio and S+T+ARTS / Ars Electronica.
Since 2018 she is professor for composition at the HfMT Cologne and director of the Institute for Contemporary Music, in 2024, she became a full member of the North-Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and Arts.
Photograph by Sebastian Hänel
