Public Listening Series
ascolta is the public listening series of the ICST Composition Studio: acousmatic and electroacoustic music presented in an intimate, immersive setting.
Sessions connect studio practice, residency projects, and international repertoire through higher-order Ambisonics listening at ZHdK.
Series Info
LocationToni-Areal, Kompositionsstudio 3.D02, Level 3, Pfingstweidstrasse 96, Zürich
Format~60 min, Acousmatic listening session
AdmissionFree, Open to all
AudienceComposers, students, researchers, visitors
Start here
Most recent session
Go straight to the latest ascolta programme and documentation.
Listening Guide
Questions, categories, and exercises for active spatial listening.
Residency projects
Artists and projects connected to many ascolta programmes.
All Sessions
2026
2025
2024
2023
#09
Hans Tutschku — Remembering Japan
05 Dec 2023
Portrait
#08
La Canción de la Tierra — Mesias Maiguashca
24 Oct 2023
Portrait
#07
ICST Artists in Residence — concert with works by former residents
06 Jun 2023
Residency Concert
#06
Zbigniew Karkowski — noise and experimental electronic music
04 Apr 2023
Portrait
#05
Field-Recordings & Soundscapes — Philip Samartzis
14 Mar 2023
Portrait
2022
Listening
→ Ascolta Listening Guide — Smalley’s spatial categories, five analytical questions, three exercises for active spatial listening.
A selection of online resources for listening to Ambisonics and spatial audio:
- Sounding Future — Tracks — spatial audio archive
- Sounding Future — Artists — composer and artist profiles
- HOAST Library (IEM) — Higher-Order Ambisonics recordings
- Nimbus UHJ — classic Ambisonics UHJ recordings