Xol Meissner

Mauro Hertig (performing as Xol Meissner) is a Swiss composer with an output of ensemble, chamber and site-specific works. He creates stage environments as game-like settings, using sounds of intimate speech, touch and instructions.

His works have been commissioned by Basel Sinfonietta, Ensemble Recherche, Collegium Novum Zürich, Österreichischer Rundfunk, Wittener Tage für Neue Kammermusik, Impuls Festival Graz, Royaumont Foundation, Festival für Neue Musik Rümlingen, Open Music Austria, Ensemble Tzara, among others.

In 2016, Mauro Hertig was selected as Promising Young Composer by the Ulysses Network, resulting in a journey of European residencies from 2017 to 2020. More recently, he was composer-in-residence at Camargo Foundation, France, the Institute for Computer Music and Sound Technology Zürich and 180° Festival for Innovative Art Sofia. He is laureate of the Voix Nouvelles Composition Academy Royaumont 2019, as well as finalist of the 12th Mivos/Kanter Prize 2022.

2021-23 saw the commissioned orchestra work Losing the Red Queen’s Race tour through Belgium and Germany with Basel Sinfonietta. Mum Hum received its live premiere at Wittener Tage für Neue Musik 2022 and was exhibited as a sound installation at DHMD museum Dresden. Ensemble works for Ensemble Tzara and Lemniscate Ensemble were premiered, as well as a special commission for the 58th Belgrade Art Biennale. Hertig presented three works at Impuls Festival Graz 2023, among them a newly commissioned piece for Hand Werk Ensemble and Strings+Noise.

Upcoming premieres include a new evening-long work for ECLAT Festival Stuttgart 2024, as well as a commission for Frequenz Festival Kiel in May 2025.

He studied at University of the Arts in Zürich and Kunstuniversität Graz, receiving his Bachelor with Isabel Mundry and Master of Arts in Composition with Beat Furrer and Klaus Lang.

Mauro Hertig is based in New York.
For the concert at City Xol Meissner will play some songs from his new Ambient/Pop Album Breeder with a Light Installation