Music & Art Feb 29, 2016

Meet Up-and-Coming Icelandic Composer Jóhann Jóhannsson

What’s next for this talented two-time Oscar nominee?

2015 was a great year for Icelandic musician and composer Jóhann Jóhannsson. Jóhann won a Golden Globe for his score for Theory of Everything and secured nominations for a BAFTA, Grammy and Oscar (just to name a few). 2016 has the potential to be even greater year for the up-and-coming composer, who recently was nominated for another Oscar in the category “Best Original Score” for Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario.

Still considered a newcomer in film music circles, Jóhann had his big break with his Golden Globe-winning and Oscar-nominated score for The Theory Of Everything last year. Jóhann started his career as an avant-garde electronic musician, but began working as a film composer in the year 2000. Although he is considered a part of the modern classical movement, the composer’s style is often described as “experimental”; in his music, Jóhann electronically manipulates orchestral instrumentation and vocals in order to create dramatic emotional range in his scores.

Although Jóhann did not take home the Oscar for Best Original Score at the 2016 Academy Awards, the two-time Oscar nominee continues to work hard on new projects like Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming science fiction drama Story of Your Life. In fact, the artist is so busy with his work that he wasn’t even able to attend the Academy Awards!

Jóhann is one of six Icelanders who have been nominated to receive an Oscar. So far none have taken home the prize, but our fingers are crossed for Jóhann to take home a gold statuette in the coming years! Interested in hearing Jóhann’s work? Listen to the full soundtrack of Sicario here:

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