Hans Bridger Heruth

Founder and Artistic Director

Hans Bridger Heruth (b. 1997) is an award-winning composer whose music has been praised as “lovely and delicate” and “impressively stylish” (The American Prize), and for having an “invigorating richness” (KC Metropolis). In addition, he is a conductor, pianist, singer, and violinist of distinction. His works have been performed by many different ensembles, most notably the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, Wilmington Concert Opera, Nightingale Opera Theatre Company, Cortona Sessions for New Music, (art) Song Lab, KC Vitas Chamber Choir, the University Singers of the University of Missouri, the Festival Singers of Florida, and the Boulder Chorale. His award-winning chamber opera, A Certain Madness, was premiered with great acclaim and to sold out houses – based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective, critics raved “Sherlock Holmes has never sounded so good” (KBIA). His most recent projects include song cycles for some of his most frequent collaborators: Piano Lessons, with poetry by Billy Collins, for baritone Patrick Graham, Verses Written in Her Book of Hours, commissioned by Catherine Sandstedt, soprano, as well as a commission from the Cincinnati Song Initiative for their 2023 Let it Be New concert, and a commission for a new choral work from National Concerts at Carnegie Hall. Heruth is also the inaugural composer-in-residence for the American-Prize-winning choral ensemble Vox Nova, and was recently selected for the 2022-2023 NATS Composer Mentorship Program. His composition mentors include Jake Heggie and Lori Laitman. He resides in Kansas City where he maintains an active schedule as a vocal coach and collaborative pianist. Heruth is a winner of the 2021-2022 Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American music for his work as a collaborative pianist, and is the founder and artistic director of Art Song KC.