Next to his studies he has dedicated himself to a multifaceted musical life: First and foremost as a composer of contemporary Electronic Music, but also as a performing artist of various styles, and as a teacher, giving piano and music theory lessons. In addition, he works as an audio engineer for popular music and contemporary classical music, e.g., realizing the recording of
Anton Webern´s Bagatellen by the Ensemble Garage feat. Barabara Maurer in 2010.
In his compositions, Tobias Hartmann mainly focusses on the area of conflict that is located in electronic music being club music as well as serious art music. Therefore, his compostions reflect compositorial seriousness and popcultural influences likewise, combining the joy of sound creation and the usage improvisational devices.
His compositions and his skilled craftsmanship as a performer with his own bands and as a sideman have led Tobias Hartmann to play in many parts of the world, his musical schedule including performances in South Korea, France, Switzerland, Poland, and many more.
Also, he has won several awards and scholarships, including prizes at the renowed Jugend Musiziert competition and reaching the finals of the german nationwide Jugend Jazzt competition.
In 2012, Tobias Hartmann co-organized the polish/german composer´s exchange program “two sample”, inviting composers from Kraków, Wrocław, Essen and Cologne to play concerts in each of the four cities. For this concert series, Hartmann also contributed his composition streunen.
In 2013 and 2014 Tobias Hartmann´s Electronic Art Composition verortung, which premiered at the New Talents Biennale 2012 in Cologne, will be on display as a sound sculpture at the Kolumba Museum in Cologne.