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Thelonious Hamel

about

Thelonious Hamel is a sound artist, composer and musician working across Europe and currently based in Salzburg. His artistic practice unfolds at the intersection of electroacoustic composition, instrumental performance, sound research and the construction of self-built resonance instruments. At the core of his work lies an exact practice of listening: shifting resonances, feedback systems, microtonality, spectral structures and the exploration of sound as a physical, social and spiritual field.

Hamel designs his own sounding bodies and experimental instruments — including traditional instruments, feedback monochords and resonant sound objects — integrating them with clarinet, voice, field recordings and electronic processes. His music forms layered resonance architectures situated between ambient, drone, noise, jazz, contemporary classical and free improvisation, focusing less on narrative development than on perceptual transformation and sonic presence.

Hamel understands his experimental language as a search for a communicative medium beyond conventional language. His artistic thesis proposes that within the space of an “inaudible language” a universal form of communication becomes possible — a language not spoken but generated through attention. He calls this language listening.

Within this framework, sound becomes a political, poetic and ecological tool: a means to create connection, open collective perceptual spaces and build sustainable artistic networks across communities worldwide.

Alongside his solo work, Hamel composes for film, installations and interdisciplinary contexts and performs in various collaborative formations, including a duo with composer Peter Michael Hamel and experimental performance ensembles. His work have received multiple international awards.

In addition to his artistic work, Hamel brings extensive experience in production, curation and festival organisation. He collaborated for several years with the Vienna-based festival Unsafe+Sounds, remains active within the Performing Sound Salzburg team, and has coordinated large-scale multidisciplinary sound programs – from 2022 to 2025, Thelonious was the lead responsible for the sound department and sound programme at The Factory Free Art Space.

He completed his Master’s degree in Multimedia Art at Salzburg University of Applied Sciences in 2024.

 

short

Thelonious Hamel is a sound artist, composer and musician active throughout Europe and currently based in Salzburg. His practice combines electroacoustic composition, clarinet, voice, field recordings and self-built resonance instruments, creating precise microtonal sound environments between ambient, drone, noise, jazz and contemporary music.

At the center of his work lies listening as both artistic method and social vision: Hamel approaches sound as a universal language beyond speech — a language of attention capable of opening shared perceptual spaces.

He composes for concert, film and installations, works internationally in collaborative formats and brings strong experience in festival production and curatorial practice. His work have received several international awards.

 

 

Releases

latest:

06/02/2026 ‚drop/ep‚ with Max Plattner

 

past:

26/01/2025 ‚prerain‚

28/01/2025 ‚scjöm‚

Contact

 

Current Work – New Duo with Max Plattner

Hamel|Plattner is a newly formed electro-acoustic duo uniting Austrian drummer, composer and producer Max Plattner with multidisciplinary musician and composer Thelonious Hamel. Emerging from a first recording session in September 2025, the project brings together Plattner’s melodic, genre-spanning approach between jazz, contemporary composition and groove-driven production with Hamel’s organic blend of sound design, clarinet, film music aesthetics and experimental performance practice.

Their collaborative sound moves fluidly between structure and improvisation, acoustic intimacy and electronic textures, creating immersive musical spaces that are both exploratory and accessible. As an emerging project with strong artistic momentum, Hamel|Plattner is now launching its first live performances, combining their distinct musical languages into a powerful new voice on the contemporary European scene.

 

 

 

Mail:

sound@thelonioushamel.de

 

live performances & concerts

upcoming

AT | 18.03.2026 | Special Live Performance | ARGEkultur Salzburg

IT | 29.-31.05.2026 | tba | Continuous Creation with Peter Michael, Johnny & Thelonious Hamel

AT | 26.06.2026 | tba | ECHOES with Jenny Szabo aka tanzkabuff

DE | 21.11.2026 | tba |ECHOES with Jenny Szabo aka tanzkabuff

Tour 2025

Echoes of the Displaced | with Jenny Szabo aka tanzkabuff

IDN | Solo | 24.06.2025 | with Gatot Danar Sulistiyanto

IDN | Yogyakarta | 21.06.2025 | KlingKlengKlong

IDN | Lombok | 31.05.2025 | SFNLabs | invited by Reza Ashari

IDN | Lombok | 27.05.2025 | Gebyar Seni Tradisi Taman Budaya NTB Traditional Ethnic Festival 27, 28, 29 May 2025

IDN | Yogyakarta | 10.05.2025 Jogja Noise Bombing Fest 2025

past (excerpt)

AT | Innsbruck | Solo | 17.10.2025 | Live at PMK by mass.archive

AT | Salzbburg | 03.-05.12.2025  ‚Mengele Zoo‘ Physical Theatre | with Jenny Szabo aka tanzkabuff Koproduktion ARGEkultur Salzburg

DE 13.03.2025 „Zeit für Neue Musik Festival Bayreuth“, Bayreuth | Music: Peter Michael, Johnny & Thelonious Hamel | Visuals: Elisa Visca

Continuous Creation live in Bayreuth

AT 14.02.2024 Vernissage Opening at Galerie 5020, Salzburg | Live-Hybrid Set

AT 03.10.24 Galerie Eröffnung Museum der Moderne Rupertinum | DJ/Hybrid

AT 15.07.24 Factory Free Art Space Performance ehem. City Center | Solo

DE 06.07.24 concert in Hausen (DE) with Peter Michael Hamel & Elisa Visca (Visuals) | concert

AT 28.06.24 concert 2Ghosts3 Performance Galerie 5020 | with Didi Neidhart

AT 12.06.24 DeFactor Opening Perfromance Zwergalgarten Pavilion | Solo

AT 12.03.24 Imbraiserhed (Band) Konzert Rockhouse Salzburg | Band

AT 22.01.24 Duo Performance Literaturhaus Salzburg | Duo

AT 30.11.23 Galerie Eröffnung Museum der Moderne Rupertinum | DJ

AT 19.03.23 Performing Sound Performance Galerie 5020 | Solo

FR 23.06.23 live at Superspectives, Lyon with Peter Michael Hamel | concert

 

movie (small excerpt)

currently screened:

Dokumentation | Am Ende der Welt

Mach Mal

 

Original Score | in collaboration with Jakob Vasak
Kollektiv Senfblau, 2022

Awards:
Design for Good/ Motion/ Film Craft – Young Ones ADC [us]
Craft/ Use of Sound & Music (Official Selection) – Berlin Commercial

 

Das feine Zirpen einer Dunkelziffer

(Silent chirping of invisible digits)

Original Score

Regie, Buch, Kamera, Schnitt, Produktion: Vera Sebert

Screenings:

Worldpremiere at Annecy Festival 2023

Komm, wir gehen.

Original Score | in collaboration with Jakob Vasak
Directed by Anna Unterweger, 2021

Awards:
Best Original Score – Berlin Indie Film Festival

 

Dreaming Moria | Documentary

Original Score | feat. collaboration with Mahsa Vahdat

Cast //
Amir Ali Mohammadi, Ahmad Ershad Mahdiyar
Amir Motamedi, Massiullah Habibzai
Nazanin Froghi, Masoomeh Hosseini
Sayyed Nouraddin Mousavi, Yaser Akbari

Producer // Luca-Emilia Dingl, Oliver Rienzner, Constanze Radak
Director & Edit // Oliver Rienzner
Camera // Constanze Radak, Lukas Ignaz Halder
On Set Recording & Sound Design // Francesco S. Zecchin
Score // Thelonious Hamel
Sound Mixing // Matthias Ermert
Colorist // Franz Brandl

Special Thanks to // Amir Ali, FH Salzburg, rfo, Yoga and Sports for Refugees, reFOCUS Media Labs, One Happy Family, Movement on the Ground

 

Goldfisch Im Hamsterrad

Original Score | in collaboration with Jakob Vasak
Kollektiv Senfblau, 2022

Awards:
2nd Place – Go Mental! International Short Film Festival
Best Student Film – Festival of Nations

 

Be Unbreakable

Original Score | in collaboration with Jakob Vasak
Kollektiv Senfblau, 2020

Awards:
Student/ Best overall production – New York Festivals [us]
Silver Cube – Young Ones Student Awards [us]
Cultural Impact – Berlin Commercial (Shortlist)

 

theater

latest:

AT | Salzbburg | 03.-05.12.2025  ‚Mengele Zoo‘ Physical Theatre | with Jenny Szabo aka tanzkabuff Koproduktion ARGEkultur Salzburg | musical director, live performer, composer

Band/Trio Imbraiserhed

latest concert: Support for Forest Swords live at Rockhouse Salzburg | AT | 12.03.2024

 

installation

past (excerpt):

MENGELE ZOO – Eine interaktive 3D-Installation | Eine Produktion von Jenny Szabo aka tanzkabuff in der ArgeKultur Salzburg 27.-29.03.2025

„Ist Gewalt im Namen des Klimas legitim? Eine Sabotageaktion hat öffentliche Infrastruktur lahmgelegt und gefühlt sind alle müde von Klimaprotesten, Klimaschutz und Widerstand – oder?

MENGELE ZOO ist keine Installation zur Klimakrise, sondern eine Kommunikationserfahrung rund um Protest, Widerstand und zivilem Ungehorsam. Es ist ein Spiel ohne Konsole, denn Sprache, Zuhören und Rätsellösen sind unsere Werkzeuge. Die Teilnehmer*innen schlüpfen in unterschiedliche Charaktere, diskutieren über Formen des Widerstands und formen dadurch die digitale 3D-Welt um sich herum.“

TICKETS

• Konzept und 3D-Umgebung Jenny Szabo / tanzkabuff
• Kreative Mitarbeit und Sound Thelonious Hamel
• Szenografie Resa Lut

 

 

 

MNEME at Forum 1 | in collaboration with Nina Vasilchenko

Erinnerungen sind flüchtig und doch tief in uns verankert. Sie verändern sich mit der Zeit, formen unsere Identität und beeinflussen, wie wir die Welt um uns wahrnehmen. Doch wie lassen sich Erinnerungen – etwas so Unsichtbares und Abstraktes – künstlerisch greifbar machen?
MNEME ist ein Experiment, das genau dieser Frage nachgeht.

Die Installation verbindet visuelle, auditive und räumliche Elemente, um die Komplexität von Erinnerungen zu erforschen.
Diese Installation verzichtet bewusst auf einfache Antworten. Stattdessen lädt sie dazu ein, sich in die Unschärfe des Erinnerns zu vertiefen, eigene Reflexionen anzustoßen und eine neue Perspektive auf die Rolle der Vorstellungskraft und die Rekonstruktion von Erinnerungen zu gewinnen. Eröffnung: 14. November 2024, 19:00 Uhr, Ort: Forum 1, Salzburg, Dauer: 15. – 24. November Mo-Fr: 14:00 – 19:00 Sa: 12:00 – 17:00 So: geschlossen

–

Hypha | an interactive multi-medial installation | with Veit Vergara & Max Wöß

 

workshop (excerpt)

current:

CHE | 13.-17.04.2026 | Billy und Bella Kinder Kreativ Woche | 5-16 Jahren | Kunstvermittlung, Schlösschen Vorder-Bleichenberg, Asylweg 15, 4562 Biberist

Anmeldung: „Fabelklänge und Maskenmagie“ mit Thelonious Hamel & Jenny Szabo

past:

15.05.25 | Lifepatch Yogyakarta | Sound & Movement – Listening in Action & As A Language Of Expression | 13.00-15.30 WIB
By Jenny Szabo & Thelonious Hamel | Supported by the AIR Stipendium Stadt Salzburg | IDN

07.-11.04. 2025

Billy und Bella Kinder Kreativ Woche | 5-16 Jahren | Kunstvermittlung, Schlösschen Vorder-Bleichenberg, Asylweg 15, 4562 Biberist | CHE

Anmeldung: „Klingende Werkstatt – Bau dein eigenes Instrument“

past:

DE | 10.03.2023  Tage der Bayerischen Schulmusik inkls. concert with Peter Michael Hamel |

Musikhochschule Munich

DE | 06.03.2020 | Tage der Bayerischen Schulmusik | Musikhochschule Munich

 

 

community & team

team: Performing Sound – next 14.03.2026 – PAY AS YOU CAN TICKETS

from 2022 to 2025, lead responsible sound department & sound programme : The Factory Free Art Space
past support: Struma & Iodine & Unsafe+Sounds

 

 

photo by David Prokop