Shelley Hirsch is "an unorthodox, extraordinary fusion of vocalist, composer, and performance artist " (Anne LeBaron) whose work encompasses story telling pieces, staged performances, compositions, improvisations, collaborations, installations, and radioplays, which have been presented on 5 continents...

Her mostly solo performance pieces including the multimedia "O Little Town of East New York" and "For Jerry" (virtual duets with the late great Jerry Hunt) and "States"; "My Father Piece"; "The Passions of Natasha, Nokiko, Nina, Nicole and Norma" (in collaboration with visual artist Barbara Bloom); staged multimedia solo pieces have been performed at The Hebbel Theater and Podewil (Berlin), WienerFestWochen (Vienna), The Zurcher International Theater Spektakel (Zurich), The Kitchen, The Whitney Museum at 42nd St (NYC), Experimenta Festival (Buenos Aires), Helsinki Biennale (Finland), Angelica Festival (Bologna Italy), City of Women Festival (Llubliana Slovenia), Beyond Innocence Festival (Kobe Japan), The Dom (Moscow), Adelaide State Theatre (Australia), Marstall (Munich), etc.

"All The Way Way With Jim and Shel" an interactive installation made in collaboration with visual artist Jim Hodges was exhibited at the Portland Institute of Contemporary Art in Oregon this past summer.

Hirsch has performed hundreds of concerts of improvised music with great musicians including Anthony Coleman, Christian Marclay, Ikue Mori, Toshio Kajiwara, Hans Reichel, Min Xiao Fen, Tony Buck, David Simons, Johannes, Connie and Matthias Bauer, Paul Lovens, David Watson, Marina Rosenfeld, Jim Staley, DJ Olive, Denman Maroney, Joey Baron, Mark Dresser, Ned Rothenberg, Marc Ribot, Cyro Baptista, Butch Morris, Elliot Sharp, Uchihashi Kasuhisa, Joe Williamson, etc, etc.

She can be heard on dozens of CDs including her just released CDs "The Far In, Far Out Worlds of Shelley Hirsch" (Tzadik) and "Duets" with gutarist Uchihashi Kasuhisa (Innocence Records), and on her solo CD "States" (Tellus); her storytelling CD "O Little Town of East New York" (Tzadik); "Haiku Lingo" (No Mans Land) last two co-composed with longtime collaborator keyboardist David Weinstein- and the LP "Singing" (Apollo).

She has also recorded with the groups September Band and X-Communication (FMP), David Moss's Direct Sound (Intakt); and can be heard on CDs by Jerry Hunt, Jim Staley, Butch Morris, Richard Teitelbaum, Elliot Sharp, John Zorn, Nicholas Collins, Jon Rose, Sven Ake Johannson and Alexander Von Schlippenbach, David Shea, Nina Danino, Joseph Celli and Jin Hi Kim, Martin Schutz and Hans Koch, Chantal Dumas, Jay Clayton and many compilation CDs.
Hirsch has composed music for, and /or appeared in films including ones by Nina Danino, Abigail Childs, Lee Sachs, Zoe Beloff. She is the subject of 2 short documentary films made for German Television ZDF and Arte and is featured in Derek Baileys series on Improvisation for BBC TV.

She has been commissioned to write several radioplays by New American Radio and Performing Arts ;SFB radio in Germany.; The Wexner Center and Harvestworks. The radio version of "O Little Town of East New York" produced by NARPA was the winner of a 1st prize at the Prix Futura International Media Competition in Berlin. Her text for "O Little Town of East New York" has been translated into Finnish, Spanish, German and was published in Italian in a book of writing by musical artists called PANTA.

This year Hirsch has been awarded a Creative Capital grant for a new multidisciplinary/performance work; a joint residency at Fire Engine 27 and Harvestworks Studio PASS to create a sound installation; and a grant from theTown of Bern Switzerland to co-compose and write the libretto for a new piece with Swiss composer/arranger Simon Hostettler.

Past grants and fellowships include several from NEA and NYFA in music composition, new forms, interarts and performance art categories, from Mary Flagler Carey Trust in the music for theater and recording categories and from NYSCA in electronic music. Residencies include the prestigious DAAD Residency (Berlin); STEIM (Amsterdam) 2xs; Harvestworks, Studio PASS (NYC) 4xs; Arcadia Summer Arts Residency (Maine); Boston Museum School; Voiceover Festival (London).

She is currently an improvising vocalist in Alvin Currans Philharmonie (w/ Fred Frith, Joan Jeanrenaud, Willie Winants and Curran), Billy Martin's "Drop the Needle Project" (w/ Martin, DJ Olive, Min Xiao Fen, Cyro Baptista, Melvin Gibbs, Graham Haynes, Danny Blume) and in Christian Calons "Ulysses" project and she is heard on the soundtrack for Noemie LaFrances choreography in a staircase "Descent".

Her work has been the subject of 100's of pre and reviews. She especially appreciates the many articles journalist Harry Lachner has written about her work and what Anne LeBaron writes in her essay "Reflections of Surrealism in Postmodern Musics" in the book "Post modern Music/Postmodern Thought" published by Garland Press 2001.

Hirsch has given workshops and masterclasses internationally and is a member of the board at Roulette Intermediun in NYC.