vocal – rozalie hirs

2025, calendar, multidisciplinary, music with own poetry, musical works, news, orchestra, vocal

rosehart (cd, 2025)

On 7 November 2025, the portrait album Rosehart (2025) by Rozalie Hirs is to be released. It consists of recordings of her orchestral works. Listen to the full album on Spotify or other digital platforms.

2025, calendar, chamber, multidisciplinary, music with own poetry, musical works, news, vocal

come sempre (2025) for soprano and coloratura

Come sempre is a new duo for soprano and coloratura soprano by Rozalie Hirs, commissioned by Susan Narucki and dedicated to its first performers, Susan Narucki (soprano) and Kirsten Ashley Wiest (coloratura soprano). The text is taken from the opening poem of Hirs’ eighth collection, ecologica (Uitgeverij Vleugels, 2023), here sung in the Italian translation by Patrizia Filia, to be published in the Italian edition of ecologica (Nous Editrice, Catania, 2026; forthcoming).

At the heart of come sempre lies the joy of singing — and of singing together. Hirs deliberately writes clear, singable melodic lines that move around broadly conceived, flexible tonal centres, which shift gradually to create a transparent, responsive harmonic landscape. The two voices engage in multiple forms of interaction: dialogue and responsorial exchange, completing each other’s melody or text, shaping a single line together, or moving in parallel melody and functional harmony. Vocal roles alternate throughout, without a fixed hierarchy.

2025, calendar, ensemble, multidisciplinary, musical works, news, vocal

infinity stairs (cd, 2025)

On 8 August 2025, the portrait album Infinity Stairs (2025) by Rozalie Hirs was released. It includes new recordings of her chamber and solo compositions. Listen to the full album on Spotify or Apple Music.

2022, calendar, ensemble, multidisciplinary, music with own poetry, musical works, vocal

artemis (2022) for soprano, ensemble, electronic sounds

artemis (2022) by Rozalie Hirs is a new composition, based on her own poetry, commissioned by Donaueschingen Festival. The soprano Keren Motseri performs its world premiere together with ensemble ascolta on 15 October 2022 during Donaueschingen Festival, Germany.

2020, calendar, chamber, ensemble, multidisciplinary, music with own poetry, musical works, string quartet, vocal

hand in hand (2020) for string quartet and soprano

Rozalie Hirs composed hand in hand (2020) for soprano and string quartet, based on her own poetry. This commission from Kulturkreis für Neue Musik Heilbronn is inspired on the life and ideas of the German poet Hölderlin. The world premiere takes place on his two-hundred-and-fiftieth birthday, a day later followed by a performance next to his birthhouse in Lauffen am Neckar, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

2015, calendar, installations with poetry or music, multidisciplinary, musical works, vocal

curvices amsterdam (2015)

Curvices Amsterdam (2013, 2015) is an interactive song cycle, a virtual poetry and music installation, for cell phones and mobile devices, that accompanies you on your walk around the concert venue Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. By Rozalie Hirs (music, poetry, voice), Cox & Grusenmeyer (design, animation), Yvan vander Sanden (software design, realization), Machiel Spaan (spatial design).

2015, calendar, ensemble, multidisciplinary, music with own poetry, musical works, orchestra, vocal

atlantis ampersand (2015)

atlantis ampersand (music, text; 2015) by Rozalie Hirs is a composition for large ensemble and choir. Commissioned by Holland Festival for the world premiere performance by Klangforum Wien and Enno Poppe (conductor).

2013, calendar, installations with poetry or music, multidisciplinary, musical works, vocal

curvices (2013)

Curvices (2013) is an interactive song cycle, a virtual poetry and music installation, for cell phones and mobile devices, that accompanies you on your walk around Klankenbos, Neerpelt, Belgium. By Rozalie Hirs (music, poetry, voice), Cox & Grusenmeyer (design, animation), Yvan vander Sanden (software design, realization), Machiel Spaan (spatial design).

2011, calendar, ensemble, multidisciplinary, musical works, vocal

arbre généalogique (2011, 2025 rev.)

Rozalie Hirs’ arbre généalogique (2011) for lyrical soprano and large ensemble expands her exploration of harmony, timbre, and form through poetry and song. Setting her own poem ‘Stamboom’ (“family tree”) — in Henri Deluy’s French translation — Hirs creates a meditative sound world where ancestry and memory unfold through music.

2010, calendar, multidisciplinary, musical works, radio, livestream, printed media, vocal

pulsars (cd, 2010)

Pulsars (Amsterdam: Attacca Productions, The Netherlands, 2010) is the second full-length portrait CD of Rozalie Hirs (*1965). It contains three electroacoustic compositions based on own texts. All compositions feature spoken voice.

2009, calendar, multidisciplinary, musical works, vocal

curved space (2009)

Music composition by Rozalie Hirs for spoken voice and musicians, based on the section ‘Gekromde ruimte’ (‘Curved Space’) of the poetry book Geluksbrenger (Lucky Charm; Amsterdam: Querido, 2008).

2008, calendar, multidisciplinary, music with own poetry, musical works, solo, vocal

article 5 [delphin, gekrümmte zeit] (2008; German version, 2022)

article 5 [dolphin, curved time] (2008) by Rozalie Hirs is a music composition for soprano solo, based on her own poetry, commissioned by Marja Bon for Wendingen Festival. The work was first performed by soprano Irene Maessen (pictured above by Marco Borggreve), and received subsequent performances by Stephanie Aston and Keren Motseri.

2003, calendar, multidisciplinary, musical works, solo, vocal

in la (2003)

In LA (2003) is an electroacoustic music composition by Rozalie Hirs, based on her eponymous poem. In LA (2003, Dutch version) was composed as a portrait of the composer Louis Andriessen and is dedicated to him. The text is based on an interview with Andriessen that Hirs conducted in 2003 […]