By Georgia Mott
Bryce Dessner is a multidisciplinary composer and artist, famous for his ability to straddle genres – often in one piece. As well as being a founding member of indie rock band The National, he has composed for ensembles including the Kronos Quartet, New York Philharmonic, and Los Angeles Philharmonic, and has written various film scores.
When was Bryce Dessner born?
Bryce Dessner was born in April 23rd, 1976 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Can you tell me about Bryce Dessner’s family and upbringing?
As a composer, Bryce Dessner has often collaborated with his twin brother, Aaron, on multiple projects. Not only do they both perform in their (predominantly) rock band ‘The National’ together, they are both co-founders of the record label ‘Brassland Records’ and have composed some film scores together. The Dessner pair co-wrote the score to ‘C’mon C’mon’, a 2021 drama film starring Joaquin Pheonix. Dessner also has a sister called Jessica, who he has dedicated a 2024 Piano Concerto to. Bryce went to the Cincinnati Country Day School and graduated in 1994.
What is Bryce Dessner’s musical inspiration
Dessner has been quoted as saying he credits a multitude of genres and sources for his musical inspiration. He has been known for revitalising classical movements structurally in his work by including more contemporary elements and has also credited the Baroque era for inspiring his orchestral compositions. Bryce and Aaron’s band ‘The National’ primarily focus on indie-rock pieces and have had four of their albums make it onto the Billboard charts. Along with this, Dessner has written music for an array of films, such as The Accountant 2 (2025) and We Live In Time (2024).
Who has Bryce Dessner worked with?
One of the biggest names that both the Dessner brothers have worked with would arguably be the 11-time Grammy winner, Taylor Swift. Swift featured on The National’s ‘The Alcott’, and the two brothers worked on Swift’s ‘Coney Island’ on the American Music Award-winning ‘Evermore’ album. Dessner has been quoted as saying that he has “Done a ton of orchestration for her albums” as well as the more public collaborations during the release of both albums. Dessner has also individually worked with other huge names in the music industry, such as Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, Bruce Springsteen and Bon Iver.
What are Bryce Dessner’s other achievements?
The eclectic artist is the founder of the MusicNOW festival, as well as Copenhagen’s HAVEN festival. Dessner also founded the band, ‘Clogs’ and has won 2 Grammys overall for his musical works, as well as being nominated three times. Dessner and his brother Aaron both feature on ‘Rolling Stones’ 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time’, highlighting his talents in performance as well as composition.