Hildegard Westerkamp is a composer, radio artist, and sound ecologist. She performs, writes, and presents soundscape workshops and lectures internationally.

Westerkamp was born in Osnabrück, Germany, and emigrated to Canada in 1968. Her compositions have been performed and broadcast in many parts of the world. Some of her pieces appear in Gus van Sant’s films “Elephant” and “Last Days.”

In 1993, she was instrumental in helping found the World Forum for Acoustic Ecology. In 2003, Vancouver New Music invited her to coordinate and lead public soundwalks as part of its yearly concert season. This, in turn, inspired the creation of The Vancouver Soundwalk Collective, whose members continue the work on a regular basis.

– – –

Stories of Sound is an audio series that delves into sound arts and audio storytelling, offering listeners a window into the creative processes, challenges, and inspirations of artists, authors and theorists who tell stories through sound.

Audio documentaries, radio dramas, interviews, soundscapes, narration, auto-fiction, sound installations, archival material, sound design, radio, podcasting, and much more. 


Stories of Sound: Conversations on Sound, Art, and Audio Storytelling is curated by Riccardo Giacconi at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Tufts University.

Narration by Megan Hyde.

Additional editing by Marion Nicvert. 

This episode features excerpts from the following pieces by Hildegard Westerkamp: “Whisper Study”, “Cricket Voice”, “Kits Beach Soundwalk”, “Once Upon A Time”, “Attending to Sacred Matters”.It also features an excerpt from the radio-documentary “The Idea of North” by Glenn Gould.

Produced with support from the Faculty Research Awards Committee, School of Arts & Sciences at Tufts University.

https://botafuego.org/STORIES-OF-SOUND