Douglas Hertz

Composer Douglas Hertz (b. 1993) uses sound as a medium to investigate experiences ranging from the personal to universal and from the physical to the spiritual. Through his work, he seeks to connect with audiences in a way that helps them better understand themselves, one another, and the world they inhabit.

His work has appeared on programs presented by the Aries Composers Festival, Midwest Composers Symposium, Nief Norf Summer Festival, Atlantic Music Festival, Bard College’s Music Alive series, the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music, Periapsis Music and Dance, and the Deer Valley Music Festival. His work has been performed by Ensemble Dal Niente, Wet Ink Ensemble, Da Capo Chamber Players, American Symphony Orchestra, University of Michigan Philharmonia Orchestra, Vanguard Reed Quintet, Up/Down Percussion Quartet, BrassTaps Duo, Portland Percussion Group, and Front Porch Ensemble, among others. As an avid collaborator, Hertz actively seeks ways of broadening the context of his work beyond the concert hall, which has led him to collaborate with choreographers Janice Rosario and Al Evangelista, performance group Call Your Mom, and visual artist Lizzy Chiappini.

Hertz completed his undergraduate degree at Bard College and earned a masters degree in music composition from the University of Michigan. His teachers have included Kristin Kuster, Evan Chambers, Bright Sheng, George Tsontakis, Joan Tower, Kyle Gann, and Janet Weir. As a committed educator himself, Hertz teaches theory and composition at the Thurnauer School of Music (NJ) and the Walden School (NH).