Transsonic (Viola Yip and Nicola L. Hein) is a Berlin-based transmedia duo. Since 2018, they have been joining forces to develop new works at the intersection of instrument building, incorporating new technologies and developing embodied performance with sound and light.

They create immersive site-specific performances and installations bridging the vibrations of light and sound. Trained as musicians, both look into the ontology of sound and how musical experience can be transformed beyond its common material—sound. For their artistic research project Transsonic, they explore light as an expanded musical material. They research and create performances, improvising between lights and sounds as equally essential but dialectical musical materials.

They have been commissioned by Next Festival Bratislava, Hong Kong New Music Ensemble, Seanaps Festival Leipzig, and Gray Center for Arts and Inquiry at the University of Chicago. They have also presented at New York University, Experimental Intermedia (NYC), CCRMA at Stanford University, Internationales Musikinstitut Darmstadt, Sonic Lab in SARC at Queen’s University Belfast, Huddersfield, Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, AIMC Conference at Oxford University, New Interface and Musical Expression (NIME) conference in Shanghai and Utrecht, Gare du Nord and Academy of Music Basel, Academy of Music Luzern, Klex Festival in Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong Arts Center, De Tanker in Amsterdam, Musikhochschule Lübeck, Blurred Edges Festival in Hamburg, Alte Feuerwache in Köln, Experimentik Berlin and Radialsystem Berlin.

Viola Yip is an experimental composer, performer, sound artist, and instrument builder. She has been interested in creating new self-built instruments and sound performances that explore the dynamic relationships between media, materiality, space, and musical bodies in experimental music. Her recent appearance includes the Center for New Music and Audio Technologies (CNMAT) at UC Berkeley, Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) at Stanford, Issue Project Room (NYC), Look & Listen Festival NYC, Art Club of Chicago, Cycling ‘74 Expo, School of Creative Media at the City University of Hong Kong, University of Huddersfield, Sonic Arts Research Center at Queen’s University Belfast, QO-2 Brussels, Flykingen Stockholm, Kunst Station Sankt Peter (Köln), In Front festival Aachen, Heroines of Sound Berlin, Universität der Künste Berlin, Akademie der Künste Berlin, Museum Serralves Porto and Pinakothek der Moderne München. She received an Honorary Mention from Giga-Hertz-Preis 2021 at ZKM in Karlsruhe.
violayip.com

Nicola L. Hein is a sound artist, guitarist, composer, and researcher in the field of music aesthetics and cybernetics. He is the professor of Sound Arts and Creative Music Technology and artistic director of the studio for electronic music at the University of Music in Lübeck. His work is determined by the interaction of sound, space, light, movement, and the emergent dynamics of aesthetic systems. In his artistic work, he uses physical and electronic extensions of synthesizers and electric guitar, sound installations with motors/video projections/light, cybernetic humanmachine interaction with interactive A.I. music systems, augmented reality, telematic real-time art, ambisonic sound projection, instrument-making, conceptual compositions. Intermedia works with video art, dance, literature and other art forms. His works have been realized in more than 30 countries in North America, South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. His artistic work is documented in over 30 releases. He has been awarded many different prizes and grants for his work. He has collaborated with Max Eastly, Evan Parker, Miya Masaoka, Axel Dörner, Ute Wassermann, and many more. Presentations of his work at MaerzMusik Festival (Berlin), Ars Electronica (Linz), Moers Festival, A L’ARME! FESTIVAL (Berlin), Super Deluxe (Tokyo), Sonica
Festival (Glasgow), and many more.
https://nicolahein.com/