WAYS OF LISTENING
- Thursday, March 27, to Friday, April 4
- Samantha Rose Hill & Paul Holdengräber
- Festival, In dialogue, Performance
How do we listen to each other in our noisy, distracted world? How does the act of listening transform in the realms of music, exile, or the digital age? More simply, what happens when we truly listen? In collaboration with the Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House association, we invite you to join us for a festival that celebrates the profound art of listening.
Our distinguished hosts, the legendary interviewer Paul Holdengräber and renowned Hannah Arendt scholar Samantha Rose Hill, have spent the past year exploring the many facets of listening. For the first time, they will share the insights they’ve uncovered in this thought-provoking journey.
They will be joined by an exceptional lineup of speakers, including composer Cathy Milliken, journalist and activist Yasmin Merei, filmmaker Xu Xing, and other inspiring guests, as they engage in conversations that bridge disciplines and deepen our understanding of this essential human practice.
We look forward to welcoming you to a truly unique event—one that promises to inspire, challenge, and enrich how we listen and connect.
Paul Holdengräber is a distinguished intellectual and the founding director of Onassis Los Angeles. Known for his captivating and insightful conversations, he previously led a celebrated cultural series at the New York Public Library, where he engaged with luminaries such as Patti Smith and Werner Herzog, among many others. His ability to draw out deep, meaningful dialogues makes him a masterful host and a true curator of ideas.
Samantha Rose Hill is the acclaimed author of Hannah Arendt (2021) and Hannah Arendt’s Poems (2023). A respected scholar and instructor at both the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research and the University of the Underground, Hill’s work delves into the complexities of political thought and human experience. Her writings have been featured in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Aeon, and LitHub.
Festival program:
Thu, 27th March 2025, 8:00 pm
Samantha Rose Hill
What remains. Hannah Arendt as a poet
Fri, 28th March 2025, 8:00 pm
Cathy Milliken, Samantha Rose Hill & Paul Holdengräber
A Celebration of Listening. The art of listening in music
Sat, 29th March 2025, 11:00 am
Samantha Rose Hill
Listening to the Past: A Walk Through Hannah Arendt’s Heidelberg
Sat, 29th March 2025, 6:00 pm
WHY FRETS?
Requiem for the Electric Guitar & WHY FRETS? – Downtown 1983
Installation, Performance, and Lecture with Marko Ciciliani
Sat, 29th March 2025, 8:00 pm
Josh Cohen & Paul Holdengräber
The Art of Listening: A Conversation Across Professions
Sun, 30th March 2025, 11:00 am
Yasmin Merei & Xu Xing
Listening to Exile: Voices Between Worlds
Sun, 30th March 2025, 5:00 pm
George Prochnik & Paul Holdengräber
How Noisy Everyting Grows
Fri, 4th April 2025, 6:00 pm
Winfried Kretschmann & Bernhard Pörksen
The art of listening – and dialog in politics and society
Languages: English & German
In collaboration with the Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House association
