Jordan Dykstra is an American
film music and
chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...
composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and Defi ...
and
violist from
Sioux City, Iowa.
Academically, Dykstra studied composition at
CalArts with
Michael Pisaro,
Wolfgang von Schweinitz, and
Ulrich Krieger; privately with
Daníel Bjarnason,
Chiyoko Szlavnics, and at
Wesleyan University with
Alvin Lucier
Alvin Augustus Lucier Jr. (May 14, 1931 – December 1, 2021) was an American composer of experimental music and sound installations that explore acoustic phenomena and auditory perception. A long-time music professor at Wesleyan University in Mi ...
. Dykstra contributed to the score of the 2017 psychological thriller/horror film ''
It Comes At Night'' (dir.
Trey Edward Shults), which received the NYT Critic's Pick from
A.O. Scott, film critic at the ''
New York Times''. He has also worked as a composer on film music for
Gus Van Sant
Gus Green Van Sant Jr. (born July 24, 1952) is an American film director, producer, photographer, and musician. He has earned acclaim as both an independent and mainstream filmmaker. His films typically deal with themes of marginalized subcultur ...
's 2011 film ''
Restless
Restless may refer to:
* Psychomotor agitation, restlessness experienced as a result of certain medications or conditions
Music
* Restless Records
Albums
* ''Restless'' (Sara Evans album) and its title track, 2003
* ''Restless'' (Murray H ...
'',
Penny Lane's 2019 documentary ''
Hail Satan?
''Hail Satan?'' is a 2019 American documentary film about the origins of The Satanic Temple, including the group's grassroots political activism. Directed by Penny Lane, the film premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, and was released in t ...
'', and the 2019 narrative film ''
Blow the Man Down
"Blow the Man Down" is an English sea shanty, listed as 2624 in the Roud Folk Song Index. The lyric "Blow the man down" can be interpreted in a number of ways. Some see it as a reference to a sailor being struck with a fist. Given the shanty's t ...
'' which was directed by Bridget Savage Cole and Danielle Krudy. His composition work with
Frontline documentaries includes
Mstyslav Chernov's ''
20 Days in Mariupol'' (which won the Audience Award for Best World Cinema Documentary at the
2023 Sundance Film Festival
The 2023 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 19 to 29, 2023. The first lineup of competition films was announced on December 7, 2022.
Films U.S. Dramatic Competition
* ''The Accidental Getaway Driver'', directed by Sing J. Lee
* ...
and won the
2024 Academy Award for
Best Documentary) and ''Plot to Overturn The Election'', while his work as a music consultant includes the 2023 Peabody Award Winning ''Michael Flynn's Holy War'', ''American Insurrection'', and the
Documenting Hate series. Dykstra was a session violist and string director for
Dirty Projectors' 2009 album ''
Bitte Orca'' and has performed at venues worldwide including
MOCA, Los Angeles, CA, the
RISD Museum
The Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD Museum) is an art museum integrated with the Rhode Island School of Design, in Providence, Rhode Island, US. The museum was co-founded with the school in 1877, and still shares multiple build ...
in
Providence, RI, the
Portland Art Museum in
Portland, OR,
Harpa Concert Hall in
Reykjavik, Iceland, and at the
Syros Institute in
Ano Syros, Greece.
While in
Val Verde, CA in 2015, Jordan Dykstra founded
Editions Verde, which publishes art and musical objects.
Discography
as Jordan Dykstra (film composer, performer, audio recording engineer, music consultant)
* ''
20 Days in Mariupol'' (2023)
PBS Frontline/
AP News - premiered at the
2023 Sundance Film Festival
The 2023 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 19 to 29, 2023. The first lineup of competition films was announced on December 7, 2022.
Films U.S. Dramatic Competition
* ''The Accidental Getaway Driver'', directed by Sing J. Lee
* ...
on January 20, 2023
* ''Globes'' (2021)
Avila Film - premiered at
2021 Ji.Hlava International Documentary Film Festival on October 27, 2021
* ''Magic Hour'' (2020) - premiered at
Tribeca Film Festival on June 18, 2020
*
''Blow the Man Down'' (2019)
Amazon Studios - premiered at the
Tribeca Film Festival on April 26, 2019
* ''
Hail Satan?
''Hail Satan?'' is a 2019 American documentary film about the origins of The Satanic Temple, including the group's grassroots political activism. Directed by Penny Lane, the film premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, and was released in t ...
'' (2019)
Magnolia Pictures - premiered at the
2019 Sundance Film Festival
The 2019 Sundance Film Festival took place from January 24 to February 3, 2019. The first lineup of competition films was announced on November 28, 2018.
Films
U.S. Dramatic Competition
* '' Before You Know It'' by Hannah Pearl Utt
* ''B ...
on January 25, 2019
* ''
Documenting Hate'' (2018)
PBS/
ProPublica -
Emmy
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
nominated 2-part series which premiered on
FRONTLINE on August 7, 2017
*
''It Comes At Night'' (2017)
A24 - premiered at the Overlook Film Festival at
Timberline Lodge on April 29, 2017
*
''Restless'' (2011)
Sony Pictures Classic - premiered at the
2011 Cannes Film Festival
The 64th Cannes Film Festival was held from 11 to 22 May 2011. American actor Robert De Niro served as the president of the jury for the main competition and French filmmaker Michel Gondry headed the jury for the short film competition. South Ko ...
on May 12, 2011
as Jordan Dykstra
*''The Arrow of Time'' - CD for string quintet and percussion, chamber ensemble (2 violas, vibraphone, pedal synthesizer, reed organ), string trio, duet of viola and
Sheng Sheng may refer to:
* Sheng (instrument) (笙), a Chinese wind instrument
* Sheng (surname) (盛), a Chinese surname
* Sheng (Chinese opera), a major role in Chinese opera
* Sheng (升), ancient Chinese unit of volume, approximately 1 liter
* S ...
, and solo piano with hand-crank siren and fixed playback (
New World Records, September 2020)
*''14 Horse Bells'' - CD for electronics, viola, percussion, and prepared speakers with electronics (
Editions Verde, September 2020)
*''A Known Unknown'' - Bundle containing
sheet music
Sheet music is a handwritten or printed form of musical notation that uses List of musical symbols, musical symbols to indicate the pitches, rhythms, or chord (music), chords of a song or instrumental Musical composition, musical piece. Like ...
, CD, and download code - for
grand piano,
percussion, and
electronics (
Editions Verde, June 2018)
*''Found Clouds'' - CD for
vibraphone,
pedal harp,
Farfisa organ, and
grand piano (
Editions Verde, March 2018)
*''Is Land a Voice'' - CD for
field recording,
air-horns, and sine-tones (
Editions Verde, March 2017)
*''The Psychological Future'' - digital LP for
gamelan,
percussion,
viola,
cello,
double bass, and
sine-tones (January 2017)
*''Chimes Nine Times'' - digital EP for
viola,
electric guitar, and
sine-tones (July 2016)
*''Stressings'' - CD (
Editions Verde, April 2016)
*''Elegant Music'' - digital EP for
viola,
koto
Koto may refer to:
* Koto (band), an Italian synth pop group
* Koto (instrument), a Japanese musical instrument
* Koto (kana), a ligature of two Japanese katakana
* Koto (traditional clothing), a traditional dress made by Afro-Surinamese women
* ...
,
noh-kan,
ryūteki, and
percussion (June 2015)
*''Three Horns'' - digital EP for
air-horn and
sine-tones in 3 movements (May 2015)
*''Like a Sun That Pours Forth Light but Never Warmth'' - digital LP, composed for
Allie Hankins' solo dance show at Conduit Dance Studio in
Portland, Ore. from October 24–26, 2014 (January 2015)
*''Audition'' - LP (
Marriage Records
Marriage Records is a small, independent record label formed in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 2001 by Curtis Knapp and Adrian Orange. The label has released a number of albums by musicians such as Adam Forkner, Dirty Projectors, Little Wings ...
/
Shatter Your Leaves /
Modern Documents, August 2014)
*''Phonography'' - digital album of 20
field recordings (March 2014)
*''Sundries'' - ongoing digital album (2013–present)
*''Pianodrones'' - digital EP card in 3 movements (December, 2012)
*''A Quiet Night'' - film score (April, 2011) for "A Quiet Night"
as DASH!
*''TSS REMIXES'' - digital download card (Self released, March 2013)
*''TAKES SWIFT STRIDES'' - digital download card (
Marriage Records
Marriage Records is a small, independent record label formed in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 2001 by Curtis Knapp and Adrian Orange. The label has released a number of albums by musicians such as Adam Forkner, Dirty Projectors, Little Wings ...
, August 2009)
with
Alvin Lucier
Alvin Augustus Lucier Jr. (May 14, 1931 – December 1, 2021) was an American composer of experimental music and sound installations that explore acoustic phenomena and auditory perception. A long-time music professor at Wesleyan University in Mi ...
* Out of Our Hands - LP (
Important Records
Important Records is an American independent record label based in Groveland, Massachusetts. The idea behind the label is to be like a good record store, with releases from diverse artists and genres.
History
John Brien started Important Records ...
, March 2022)
with Koen Nutters
* In Better Shape Than You Found Me - CD (
elsewhere, October 2021)
with Beau Breather
* College Hotel - CD (
Editions Verde, August 2016)
with Tom Blood and Jordan Dykstra
*''Seems Like It Means Something Else'' from ''EXP3'' (Editions Verde, March 2016)
*''Preludes'' (November 2014)*
*''Greatest Hits Live: Volume One'' (May 2012)*
*''A June Afternoon'' (June 2011)*
*''The Act'' (June 2011)*
*Digital EPs
with The Righteous and Harmonious Fists
*''Fangs, But No Fanks'' – Split 7-inch EP with
White Fang (
Marriage Records
Marriage Records is a small, independent record label formed in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 2001 by Curtis Knapp and Adrian Orange. The label has released a number of albums by musicians such as Adam Forkner, Dirty Projectors, Little Wings ...
, 2008)
Composing Credits
Film Credits
*''Inside the Uvalde Response —'' directed by
Juanita Ceballos ''—'' composer (
PBS Frontline/
ProPublica/
The Texas Tribune, 2023)
*
''Shaken'' ''—'' directed by
Asher Levinthal ''—'' co-composer (with
Brian McOmber), viola, synthesizer, percussion, keyboards (2023)
*
''Fair Play'' ''—'' directed by
Chloe Dumont ''—'' score
conductor
Conductor or conduction may refer to:
Music
* Conductor (music), a person who leads a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra.
* ''Conductor'' (album), an album by indie rock band The Comas
* Conduction, a type of structured free improvisation ...
, viola (
Netflix, 2023)
*''
20 Days in Mariupol —'' directed by
Mstyslav Chernov
Mstyslav Chernov ( uk, Мстислав Андрійович Чернов; born 1985) is a Ukrainian photographer, photojournalist, filmmaker, war correspondent and novelist known for his coverage of the Revolution of Dignity, War in Donbas, inc ...
''—'' composer (
PBS Frontline/
AP News, 2023)
*''Michael Flynn's Holy War —'' directed by Rick Rowley ''—'' music consultant (
PBS Frontline/
AP News, 2022)
*''Plot to Overturn the Election —'' directed by Sam Black ''—'' composer, viola, piano, percussion (
PBS Frontline/
ProPublica, 2022)
*''Globes —'' directed by
Nina de Vroome ''—'' piano, viola, percussion, programming (Avila Film, 2021)
*''Magic Hour —'' directed by Che Grayson ''—'' synth, viola, percussion, programming (2020) - premiered at
Tribeca Film Festival on June 18, 2020
*''
Blow the Man Down
"Blow the Man Down" is an English sea shanty, listed as 2624 in the Roud Folk Song Index. The lyric "Blow the man down" can be interpreted in a number of ways. Some see it as a reference to a sailor being struck with a fist. Given the shanty's t ...
—'' directed by
Bridget Savage Cole and
Danielle Krudy ''—'' co-composed with Brian McOmber, string arranger, viola, prepared piano, percussion (
Amazon Studios, 2020), film soundtrack (
Editions Verde, 2020)
*''
It Comes At Night —'' directed by
Trey Shults ''—'' assistant composer with Brian McOmber, string arranger, viola, percussion, musical collaborator, synthesizer and electronics, additional music preparation, recording engineer (
A24, 2017), film soundtrack (
Milan Records, 2017)
*''Annabel's Wake —'' written by Jordan Dykstra and
Danny Elfman
Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American film composer, singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the singer-songwriter for the new wave band Oingo Boingo in the early 1980s. Since the 1990s, Elfman has garnered internation ...
''—'' composer and mellotron, ''
Restless (2011 film)
''Restless'' is a 2011 American romantic drama film directed by Gus Van Sant, written by Jason Lew, and produced by Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and his daughter Bryce Dallas Howard. The film stars Henry Hopper and Mia Wasikowska, with Ryō Kase, Schuy ...
'' directed by
Gus Van Sant
Gus Green Van Sant Jr. (born July 24, 1952) is an American film director, producer, photographer, and musician. He has earned acclaim as both an independent and mainstream filmmaker. His films typically deal with themes of marginalized subcultur ...
, film soundtrack (
Sony Pictures Classics, 2011)
Album Credits
*''Identify —'' by Caspar Sonnet ''—'' composer and viola, LP (
Marriage Records
Marriage Records is a small, independent record label formed in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 2001 by Curtis Knapp and Adrian Orange. The label has released a number of albums by musicians such as Adam Forkner, Dirty Projectors, Little Wings ...
, 2013)
*''Belfast Sessions —'' by Davis Hooker ''—'' string trio director, composer, and viola, LP (self-released, 2012)
*''
Bitte Orca —'' by
Dirty Projectors ''—'' string quartet director and viola, LP (
Domino Recording Company, 2009)
*''Stillness Is The Move —'' by Dirty Projectors ''—''string quartet director and viola, LP (
Domino Recording Company, 2009)
*''False Face Society —'' by Valet ''—'' composer and viola, LP (
Mexican Summer, 2009)
*''Malaikat Dan Singa'' ''—'' by
Arrington de Dionyso ''—'' composer and viola, LP and CD (
K Records, 2009)
*''Caffeine, Alcohol, Sunshine, Money'' ''—'' by Jared Mees and the Grown Children ''—'' composer, string director, and viola, CD (
Tender Loving Empire, 2008)
Dance Credits
* ''Like a Sun that Pours Forth Light but Never Warmth —'' by Allie Hankins ''—'' composer, string quintet director, and viola,
dance performance (October, 2014)
Other projects
* Rob Walmart - an improvised electronic music collective
Notes
References
External links
Official site* Jordan Dykstra o
IMDBEditions Verde
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dykstra, Jordan
Musicians from Iowa
Ambient musicians
Experimental composers
American experimental musicians
American violists
21st-century American composers
21st-century classical composers
American film score composers
American male film score composers
1985 births
Living people
20th-century violists
21st-century violists