Petra Hermanova is a musician and visual artist based in Berlin. In 2018 Hermanova began working with the autoharp and it has since become the central pillar of her musical practice. Drawing inspiration from medieval drone, doom metal and contemporary textural expressions, as well as Appalachian autoharp music, she creates emotionally driven arrangements accompanied by vocals. In her lyrics, she speaks to the fragility and tenderness of the human condition, religious conceptions of death, and introspective landscapes through narrative and symbolism.
Hermanova debuted live at the Berliner Festspiele event The Sun Machine is Coming Down, performed at Trauma Bar und Kino accompanied with a choir, or took part in Sorour Darabi’s durational performance From the Throat to the Dawn. Her debut solo album In Death’s Eyes is set for release in 2023 on the art platform and label Unguarded. The album, where she wrote for the autoharp, pipe organ, solo voice and choir, features the acclaimed organist Denny Wilke playing the 19th century Ladegast organ of the Merseburg Cathedral. She has toured internationally with previous projects including extensive sound and visual collaborations with Jon Eirik Boska (Hydropsyche) as well as with her award-winning band Fiordmoss.
Download press photo here (credit: Bine Banner).
News
- SHAPE+ announces 2023/2024 roster of artists
- SHAPE+ platform announces open call for 2023/2024
- ‘Music has always been an all or nothing situation for me.’ An interview with Petra Hermanova