ear to the earth ensemble

Biography

(250 words)

Contemporary music with an environmental mindset

Ear to the Earth, an ensemble based in The Hague, promotes climate awareness through interactive performances and workshops that blend contemporary classical music with community building. Central to their mission is attentive listening—not just to music, but to our environment and to one another—believing that this fosters understanding, a conscious approach to climate change, and a more profound sense of our shared humanity.

The ensemble aims to give voice to places, things, and creatures that are unable to speak for themselves. Inspired by the imagination and sounds of their surroundings, they use materials found in nature or everyday objects as instruments, offering a renewed perspective on our biotope and its diverse sounds.

Audience participation is integral to Ear to the Earth’s approach. Rather than remaining passive spectators, participants are invited to become co-creators by making music together. This active engagement fosters a sense of wonder and an awareness of the interdependence between people and the environment—especially with creatures and systems that we often rely on unconsciously for our own well-being.

Percussionist Porter Ellerman formed Ear to the Earth, which consists of six full-time members: Ruth Mareen (violin), Antonio Dorado Salguero (cello), Rui Braga Simões (piano), Petra Valtellina (flute), and Miguel Esperanza Pérez (clarinet).

Above all, Ear to the Earth embarks alongside a growing movement in contemporary music—one that fosters appreciation for the Earth, in an effort to deepen and strengthen our fading connection to it.

Seven people engaged in a theatrical or musical scene outdoors, with a background of a stone wall covered in green ivy. One person is holding a cello, while others appear to be reacting dramatically around them.

A young woman with brown hair, dressed in a black T-shirt and beige pants, sitting cross-legged outdoors in a garden or park with green grass and yellow flowers.

A group of six young musicians perform on stage, with one playing the cello and another on a keyboard, while four others appear to be conducting or directing the performance. The setting is an ornate room with intricate wall decorations and a window in the background.

Learn about our Past Projects here!

Past Projects

Group of young people sitting on the floor, examining items and engaging in activities surrounded by various objects, with a man sitting on a couch in the background.

Our Inspiration

The music we perform is always rooted in our mission of intense listening and the theme of climate awareness, tying in with our expertise in contemporary classical music. Significant sources of inspiration are in the work of:

Pauline Oliveros, the pioneer of Deep Listening Theory and composer of many pieces that require audience participation;

John Cage, another listening innovator who also regularly uses natural materials as instruments;

and Matthew Burtner, inventor of a new music genre called ‘ecoacoustics’, in which scientific data forms the basis for compositions.