Vanessa Porter

Vanessa Porter is one of the most versatile percussionists internationally and is requested for a wide variety of projects, concert formats and programs. As a soloist, she combines contemporary works with improvisation, electronics and performing arts and impresses with her focused creation of a wide variety of sound spaces.

In addition to her direct engagement with the instruments, an important part of her work is to develop new programs as a soloist and in collaboration with various artists and composers. She attaches great importance to a holistic concert experience and always tries to place her work in a social context.

Past productions and programs:

folie à deux for percussion, performance and electronics (premiere 2020)

cycle.sound.color. for percussion, objects, electronics and visual arts (premiere 2021)

DIS:JUNCTION for percussion and dance (premiere 2022)

WASSER for percussion, vocal ensemble and sound installation (premiere 2023)

58 minutes for percussion, piano, voice and 4 channel audio (premiere 2023)

In addition to guest appearances with international ensembles such as the Ensemble Modern, she has been a permanent member of Les Percussions de Strasbourg since 2021. As a solo and chamber musician, she performs at the Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik, the ECLAT Festival Stuttgart and presents her solo programs at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Kölner Philharmonie, Philharmonie de Paris, Concergebouw Amsterdam, Barbican Centre London, VOZAR Brussels, Megaron Athens and many more.

She works with renowned composers such as Georges Aperghis (premiere Kölner Philharmonie 2020), Jennifer Walshe (premiere Funkhaus Köln 2021), Elnaz Seyedi (premiere Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik 2022), Simon Steen-Andersen (UA Festival Musica Strasbourg 2022), Adriana Hölszky (UA ZKM Karlsruhe 2016), Benjamin Scheuer (UA AdW Mainz 2021), Alva Noto (UA LAB Frankfurt 2020), Zeynep Gedizlioglu, Marta Gentilucci, Francesca Verunelli, Samir Odeh-Tamimi, and many more.

After studying at the Royal Collage of Music in London (David Hockings) and the Musikhochschule in Lübeck (Johannes Fischer), Vanessa Porter completed her Master’s degree at the Musikhochschule Stuttgart (Marta Klimasara, Klaus Dreher, Jürgen Spitschka).