The German-Austrian composer Brigitta Muntendorf explores the fragility of socio-political and techno-social concepts in multilayered musical narratives and modes of expression. In her works, she embodies concepts of Radical Listening, Environmental Storytelling, or Immersive Theater, established the concept of Social Composing and appeals to media sensuality and collaborative forms of production.
Her settings range from instrumental, choral, and orchestral music to audio-visual (AR-)installations and trans-digital music/dance theater. Her artistic research on 3D-Audio and AI-Voice Clones takes place in scientific-artistic collaborations with partners such as d&b audio and S+T+ARTS / Ars Electronica.
Muntendorf is known for large-scale, transdisciplinary productions. Among her major works are ARCHIPEL (Ruhrtriennale; Theater der Welt; Tanz im August 2021), created with choreographer Stephanie Thiersch and featuring 40 dancers, musicians, the Norwegian Soloists’ Choir in 3D audio, and a sound sculpture by architect Sou Fujimoto, and Batailles d’Image (Theater de Nîmes / Opera Bonn), for orchestra, string quartet and dancers, also choreographed by Stephanie Thiersch.
Her opera MELENCOLIA (Muntendorf/Lobeck; Bregenzer Festspiele 2022, Holland Festival 2024, Berliner Festspiele / State Opera Berlin 2025), written for Ensemble Modern, choir, live video, and 3D audio, was the first opera to receive an Honorary Mention at the Prix Ars Electronica and was recognized as a flagship project by the German Federal Government.
With the 3D-audio Space Oratorio ORBIT – A War Series (commissioned by La Biennale di Venezia 2023), she began a trilogy examining systemic violence. The work, described as “a powerful exploration of the dramas of war” (Rolling Stone) and “a posthuman, futuristic and influential space oratorio” (La Repubblica), draws inspiration from Nancy Spero’s reflections on the interplay between sexuality and power.
In addition to numerous prizes and residencies, including Villa Kamogawa, SWR Studio Freiburg, and Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, Muntendorf received the Ernst von Siemens Young Composer’s Prize and the German Young Music Authors Award of GEMA. Her Trilogy for Two Pianos  (GrauSchumacher Piano Duo) won the 2023 German Record Critics’ Award and, like her Public Privacy series—performed in over 30 countries—is considered pioneering.
Her works have been featured at major international festivals, including Festival d’Automne Paris, Wiener Festwochen, Ruhrtriennale, Donaueschinger Musiktage, Warsaw Autumn, Munich Biennale, PAN Korea, Time:Spans New York, Musica Strasbourg, ULTIMA Oslo, Art Share L.A., ONASSIS Athens or Hollandfestival. Her audio-visual installations, such as COVERED CULTURE (for 60 singers and performers) or the sound installation ||: Forest of Breath :|| have been shown at Duolun Museum Shanghai, TPAM/BANKArtTemporary Yokohama, LOOP Alt Space Seoul, Kyoto Experiment, and Kunsthalle Mannheim in collaboration with the National Theatre Mannheim.
Muntendorf has founded and directed Ensemble Garage and the F*MN Festival (in collaboration with Deutschlandfunk). She is professor of composition at the HfMT Cologne and a full member of the North-Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, Humanities and Arts . Since 2025, she has been the artistic director of the KunstFestspiele Herrenhausen, an international interdisciplinary arts festival organized by the City of Hannover.