Thomas Gerwin

Thomas Gerwin is a composer and sound artist who is particularly active in the fields of »soundscape composition,« »acoustic ecology,« and radio art. At his Berlin studio, inter art project, he composes instrumental and (live) electronic works for concerts and performances, stages experimental radio plays, and creates sound objects and installations. As a means of expression for his sometimes interactive or »situational« spatial art works, he often incorporates new media, theater, dance, film, light, and sculpture, as in the »KlangWeltKarte« at the ZKM in Karlsruhe or the »Soundscape No. X« series. At the same time, he improvises and composes using the guitar, found objects, live electronics, and—since 2008—his prepared 6-string banjo. He is a lecturer at the Exploratorium—Center for Improvised Music and Creative Music Education in Berlin.

Thomas Gerwin has been honored with various national and international awards and fellowships and has held numerous international artist residencies; his works are performed, broadcast, and exhibited worldwide. In 1993, he was a founding member of the World Forum for Acoustic Ecology. He is the founder and artistic director of several ensembles (including »Kammerensemble ad hoc« and »RaumKlangEnsemble«), as well as the International Sound Art Festival Berlin (2004–2018). From 2017 to 2023, he served as president and artistic director of the BVNM’s annual »intersonanzen« festival. His sheet music is published by Ricordi and Verlag Neue Musik.

Numerous CDs of his works are available in the ZKM’s audio collection and library, including: »1944–1952: Schau-Platz Südwest – Haus der Geschichte Baden-Württemberg« (1992), »Karlsruhe – Klangbilder einer Stadt – Ein akustisches Porträt in 12 Sätzen« (1995)—one of the first soundscape compositions on CD—»Wattenmeer-Suite: Eine UmweltKlangKomposition« (1996), »Fluss durchs Ohr – Klangbilder vom Neckar« (1998), »Welt klingt – world sounds« (1999) featuring a live Internet concert (Stockholm–Darmstadt–Karlsruhe) to mark the inauguration of the »KlangWeltKarte« (1997), »Rollenspiel Pi r²« (2000), which was awarded the 1999 Karl Sczuka Prize, »Hymnus« (2002), and »90 Sekunden Wirklichkeit« (2002). At ZKM, he was involved in the development of the International Digital Electroacoustic Music Archive IDEAMA.