Jozef van Wissem: lute and music by the composer of the “Only Lovers Left Alive” soundtrack
Jozef van Wissem is American director Jim Jarmusch's favourite composer and created the music for “Only Lovers Left Alive”. Its soundtrack earned him the Cannes Soundtrack Award, but film music is only a fraction of his extensive artistic activity, including his collaborations with Jarmusch.
The two enjoy performing as a guitar-and-lute duo, which has already resulted in three albums. For the musician, the lute is not reserved exclusively for early music, but serves his minimalist projects perfectly: van Wissem readily composes works for lute and electronics, for example.
Van Wissem’s compositions are based on traditional Renaissance and Baroque scores subjected to avant-garde treatments. They have a distinctive, often dark, dreamlike atmosphere. They are a perfect fit for Jarmusch’s films.
Van Wissem’s hypnotic, pure, minimalist music profoundly affects listeners’ emotions, creating an extraordinary, transcendent atmosphere. He tours continually, performing worldwide, including festivals such as All Tomorrow’s Parties. He studied in New York, where he now lives. He teaches The Liberation of the Lute at Harvard, Wesleyan University and Mills College. London’s National Gallery commissioned a “soundtrack” for Hans Holbein’s Ambasadorowie.
He worked with Tilda Swinton on the outstanding album “The Mystery of Heaven”. He also created the soundtrack for the computer game Sims Medieval and has increasingly been composing film music. A special “black lute” was made to his commission and can be heard on his solo album “Nihil Obstat”.
Event details
JOZEF VAN WISSEM
5 February 2017
19:00
Gothic Hall
Wrocław