Short bio Michael Hersch
Full biography Michael Hersch
Michael Hersch is an American composer and pianist born on June 25th, 1971. He is currently a faculty member at the Johns Hopkins Peabody Conservatory. Hersch's music is often described as dark, somber and anguished, with themes that are often raw and emotional. Despite this, his work has received wide critical acclaim and he has established himself as a leading figure in contemporary classical music.
Hersch has received numerous awards for his work, including the Rome Prize, the Berlin Prize, and the Guggenheim Fellowship. His compositions have been performed by some of the world's leading orchestras, including the Nashville Symphony, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.
In addition to his work as a composer, Hersch is also an accomplished pianist. His performances have been praised for their technical brilliance and emotional depth. Hersch often performs his own compositions, but has also been known to perform works by other contemporary composers.
Hersch's music is often deeply personal, and is influenced by his own experiences with illness and loss. He has written numerous works that explore themes of mortality and the human condition. Despite their intense emotional content, Hersch's compositions are also notable for their technical complexity and innovations in musical form and structure.
Overall, Michael Hersch is a highly respected figure in the world of contemporary classical music, known for his deeply personal and emotionally powerful compositions. His work has earned him numerous accolades and awards, and he is widely regarded as one of the most important composers of his generation.
Compositions featuring Michael Hersch
| # | Name | Duration | Genre | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Script of Storms, for soprano & orchestra | 27:33 min | Vocal Music | 2018 |
| 2 | End Stages, for orchestra | 18:52 min | Orchestral | 2016 |
| 3 | Cortex and Ankle, song cycle for soprano & chamber ensemble | 26:38 min | Vocal Music | 2016 |
| 4 | Violin Concerto | 34:10 min | Concerto | 2015 |
| 5 | A Breath Upwards, for soprano, viola, clarinet & horn | 31:53 min | Vocal Music | 2014 |
| 6 | Images from a Closed Ward, for string quartet | 42:04 min | Chamber Music | 2010 |
| 7 | Last Autumn, for horn & cello | 111:54 min | Chamber Music | 2008 |
| 8 | Fourteen Pieces after texts of Primo Levi, for unaccompanied violin | 31:36 min | Chamber Music | 2007 |
| 9 | Arraché, for orchestra | 6:44 min | Orchestral | 2004 |
| 10 | Five Fragments, for unaccompanied violin | 3:30 min | Chamber Music | 2004 |
| 11 | The Wreckage of Flowers; twenty-one movements after poetry and prose of Czeslaw Milosz, for violin & piano | 31:25 min | Chamber Music | 2003 |
| 12 | Fracta, for orchestra | 11:12 min | Orchestral | 2002 |
| 13 | Symphony No. 2 | 19:22 min | Symphony | 2001 |
| 14 | The Vanishing Pavilions, for piano | 100:28 min | Keyboard | 2001 |
| 15 | Sonata for unaccompanied cello No. 2 | 39:14 min | Chamber Music | 2000 |
| 16 | Milosz Fragments, for piano | 11:43 min | Keyboard | 200? |
| 17 | After Hölderlin's Hälfte des Lebens, version for viola & cello | 8:08 min | Chamber Music | 200? |
| 18 | Pieces (2) for piano (transcription of Piano Concerto) | 15:03 min | Keyboard | 200? |
| 19 | Ashes of Memory, for orchestra | 19:33 min | Orchestral | 1999 |
| 20 | Symphony No. 1 | 26:58 min | Symphony | 1998 |
| 21 | Sonata No. 1 for unaccompanied cello | 30:00 min | Chamber Music | 1994 |
| 22 | Octet, for 4 violins, 2 violas & 2 cellos | 31:10 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 23 | ...das Rückgrat berstend, for voice, violin & cello | 11:09 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 24 | Recordatio, for piano | 14:02 min | Keyboard | - |
| 25 | Caelum Dedecoratum, for double bass | 20:16 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 26 | Music for violin & piano | 11:10 min | Chamber Music | - |
| 27 | Carrion-Miles to Purgatory, for violin & cello | 49:25 min | Chamber Music | - |
Albums featuring Michael Hersch
| # | Сover | Name album | Year | Music label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
The Script Of Storms(20×File, MP3, Album) | 2022 | New Focus Recordings |
| 2 |  |
I Hope We Get A Chance To Visit Soon(CD, Album) | 2020 | New Focus Recordings |
| 3 |  |
Carrion-Miles To Purgatory(CD, Album) | 2019 | New Focus Recordings |
| 4 |  |
Ah Young Hong Sings Works By Milton Babbitt And Michael Hersch – A Breath Upwards(CD, Album) | 2018 | Innova Recordings |
| 5 |  |
Michael Hersch, FLUX Quartet – Images From A Closed Ward | 2018 | New Focus Recordings |
| 6 |  |
Michael Hersch, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, International Contemporary Ensemble, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra – End Stages; Violin Concerto(CD, Album) | 2018 | New Focus Recordings |
| 7 |  |
Images From A Closed Ward(CD, Album) | 2014 | Innova Recordings |
| 8 |  |
The Wreckage of Flowers(CD, Album) | 2010 | Vanguard Classics |
| 9 |  |
Michael Hersch - Daniel Gaisford – Sonatas Nos. 1 & 2 For Unaccompanied Cello(CD, Album) | 2009 | Vanguard Classics |
| 10 |  |
The Vanishing Pavilions(2×CD, Album) | 2007 | Vanguard Classics |
| 11 |  |
Michael Hersch, Marin Alsop, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra – Symphonies Nos.1 & 2 / Fracta / Arrache(CD, Stereo) | 2006 | Naxos |
| 12 |  |
Chamber Music(CD, ) | 2004 | Vanguard Classics |
| 13 |  |
Michael Hersch, Daniel Gaisford - Hersch, Josquin, Rihm, Feldman – Hersch / Josquin / Rihm / Feldman(CD, ) | 2004 | Vanguard Classics |
| 14 |  |
Mistral / Tramontane / Sonata For Unaccompanied Cello(CDr, ) | 2001 | 21C Media Group |
| 15 |  |
Symphony No1 - Ashes Of Memory(CDr, ) | 2000 | Not On Label |
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