I explore the intersection of voice, identity, and artistic research, where sound becomes a medium for both expression and inquiry.
HANNAH OTTO (*2000) is a German soprano, performer, and artistic researcher.
She is currently completing her master's degree with a focus on artistic research and vocal studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln. Intensive impulses for her approach to performance and artistic research came from her close work with artistic research professor and gestural performance artist/violinist Prof. Winnie Huang.
Her work explores the expressive and performative potential of the voice across chamber music constellations and interdisciplinary projects, with a focus on contemporary music and particular attention to the democratization of artistic spaces and questions of accessibility and inclusivity.
For me, the voice is more than a musical instrument. It is a site where the personal and collective converge, shaped by history, technology, and culture. This research directly shapes my artistic practice: I investigate how identity manifests and transforms through sound, from the performative dimensions of gender and vocality to the materiality of breath, text, and sonic presence.
In addition to her performance work, her research practice engages with questions of exile, memory, and resistance. She received the Best Paper Award from the GMM (German Society for Music Business and Music Culture Research) for a study on Chilean composer Leni Alexander.
She has been awarded scholarships including MozartLabor (2024) and Musik & Ästhetik (2024/25), and has participated in training programs including FARM 2024 (Fostering Artistic Research in Music) at the Orpheus Institut in Gent. Most recently, she held an Artist Residency at the European Academy of Music and Performing Arts Montepulciano (2025).
She is currently an editorial board member, author, and podcast host at musiktexte.online.
Explore my performance activity and specific artistic projects.