LOTinConcert: Xol Meissner / Kasho Chualan

Performer alias of Swiss-born, NYC-based composer Mauro Hertig, Xol Meissner pairs a soft baritone croon with a singular hammered lap-steel guitar to create soundscapes as evocative as they are otherworldly. Having made a name for himself as a composer of contemporary classical music, Hertig released the 2025 album Excess of Loss, which was "Album of Note" in Stereogum and has been described as a "haunting, unique debut" by PopMatters.

Kasho Chualan is a Kurdish-Canadian pianist, composer, and sound artist based in Vienna. Her work explores the emotional and physical textures of sound, pushing boundaries through performance and experimental improvisation. Influenced by political unrest, human suffering, and an intrigue with melancholy and nature, she works with prepared piano, electronics, voice, and everyday objects to challenge traditional ways instruments and sounds are played and perceived.