Liisa Hirsch (b. 1984) is a freelance composer and a guest lecturer in the composition department of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre. She graduated from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague under Peter Adriaansz and Cornelis de Bondt, having previously studied with Toivo Tulev in Estonia. Hirsch has written for orchestra, various chamber ensembles, and choir, in addition to creating film and stage music. Her work is characterized by a concentrated focus on sound, microtonality, and architectural forms, with a recent emphasis on expanding the possibilities of the listening experience. Her music has been featured at numerous international festivals, including MATA, Gaudeamus Muziekweek, ISCM World New Music Days, Ostrava Days of New Music, Young Euro Classic, and Acht Brücken.
She has received commissions from distinguished ensembles and institutions such as the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, ERSO, Ensemble U:, Ostravska Banda, and Ensemble Musikfabrik. In 2019, she created the sound installation Waterscapes of the Kokemäenjoki River for the Pori Art Museum. Her significant recent works include Mekkanishe sure for the Akademie der Künste Berlin, Earth Veins for six bagpipes, and Sultated Harmonics for large ensemble.
Hirsch’s creative achievements have been widely recognized. She is a two-time recipient of the Estonian Theatre Award for best original music (2009 and 2012) and won the prize at the Young Composers Meeting in Apeldoorn in 2015. In 2016, her work Ascending… Descending received the LHV Au-tasu, and her orchestral piece Mechanics of Flying won the European Composer Award in Berlin. She was honored with the Heino Eller Music Prize in 2017, and in 2024, her work Earth Veins received a special mention at the LHV Au-tasu awards.