CHARLOTTE HUG
Charlotte Hug: Multidisciplinary Visionary of Sound and Image
Charlotte Hug is a Swiss composer, violist, vocalist, and visual artist, considered one of the most uncompromising figures in contemporary avant-garde and improvised music. She is renowned for pushing the boundaries of traditional art, combining extreme performance techniques with spatial installations and painting.
Extreme Voice and Viola
Charlotte Hug's solo performances are a profound, almost shamanic experience. As an instrumentalist, she redefines the sound of the viola, including through her own unique "soft bow" technique (using a completely loosened bow hair). At the same time, she wields an impressive four-octave range, seamlessly shifting from multiphonics and harsh guttural sounds to high falsetto registers.
Son-Icons: Where Image Becomes Music
A key element of her oeuvre are her "Son-Icons" —her own visual scores, a hybrid of drawing, painting, and musical notation. Hug not only performs them herself but also conducts them with renowned improvisers' orchestras around the world (including numerous collaborations with the Krakow Improvisers Orchestra ).
Sound in Extraordinary Spaces
The artist is known for creating projects in extreme locations, which contribute to the architecture of her works. She has performed and recorded in locations including the ice caves of the Rhône Glacier, London's underground House of Detention , and World War II bunkers.
Awards and Recognition
Her groundbreaking approach to transdisciplinary art has earned her global recognition. She has held residencies in Paris, London, Shanghai, and Johannesburg, and her extensive body of work has been honored with the prestigious Swiss Music Prize .
Charlotte Hug is a Swiss composer, violist, vocalist, and visual artist, considered one of the most uncompromising figures in contemporary avant-garde and improvised music. She is renowned for pushing the boundaries of traditional art, combining extreme performance techniques with spatial installations and painting.
Extreme Voice and Viola
Charlotte Hug's solo performances are a profound, almost shamanic experience. As an instrumentalist, she redefines the sound of the viola, including through her own unique "soft bow" technique (using a completely loosened bow hair). At the same time, she wields an impressive four-octave range, seamlessly shifting from multiphonics and harsh guttural sounds to high falsetto registers.
Son-Icons: Where Image Becomes Music
A key element of her oeuvre are her "Son-Icons" —her own visual scores, a hybrid of drawing, painting, and musical notation. Hug not only performs them herself but also conducts them with renowned improvisers' orchestras around the world (including numerous collaborations with the Krakow Improvisers Orchestra ).
Sound in Extraordinary Spaces
The artist is known for creating projects in extreme locations, which contribute to the architecture of her works. She has performed and recorded in locations including the ice caves of the Rhône Glacier, London's underground House of Detention , and World War II bunkers.
Awards and Recognition
Her groundbreaking approach to transdisciplinary art has earned her global recognition. She has held residencies in Paris, London, Shanghai, and Johannesburg, and her extensive body of work has been honored with the prestigious Swiss Music Prize .