Nora Thiele

Raised in a family of musicians and theater artists, Nora Thiele studied ethnic percussion and piano in Leipzig and has worked as a freelance musician since 2004. She is widely regarded as a pioneering figure in the frame drum world, known for her sensitive virtuosity and her work in historical European percussion from the Middle Ages to early Baroque. For her global music and jazz projects, she developed a custom frame drum set that blends tunable natural-skin drums with cymbals and extends the concept of the traditional drum kit.

Thiele is committed to expanding the frame drum repertoire. She co-develops the Frame Drum Library, publishes original works for frame drums, and has inspired contemporary composers such as Klaus Huber and Bernd Franke to write orchestral pieces for her. As a composer, she creates chamber music that brings together instruments and influences from different cultures.

With more than a thousand performances across Europe, the Middle East, and China, she has collaborated with a wide range of artists and ensembles, including Cecilia Bartoli, Ensemble Avantgarde, La Folia Baroque Orchestra, Lena Chamamyan, Nederlands Kamerorkest, Glen Velez, and many others.

Drawing on decades of study in European, Middle Eastern, South Indian, West African, and Afro-American rhythmic traditions, Thiele has developed her own rhythm theory focused on awareness, improvisation, and stylistic fluency. She teaches at the Weimar University of Music and leads workshops and masterclasses internationally.

Her recent projects include a solo program combining percussion, piano, loops, and electronics, the AUREA duo with painter Larissa Böhler, and the Co Co Collective, which performs rhythm-centered minimalist music. She is also active as an artistic director, curator, and festival organizer, and is a member of Music Women Thuringia in support of gender equality in the arts.