From composing orchestrations for Taylor Swift’s “Folklore” to creating a ballet, Bryce Dessner is a hard-working indie rock musician.
A long-time member of The National alongside his brother Aaron, Dessner is currently an artist-in-residence at Yale Unversity, his alma mater. At Yale’s new Schwarzman Center, Dessner is working on new “multi-disciplinary works” that include a theatrical project with Kaneza Schaal that he will present at Yale upon its completion in 2026. Dessner also offers master classes for Yale students and alumni.
“It’s been about 25 years since I left Yale, and the world has changed and Yale has changed. It’s interesting to participate in that conversation with students who are of a different generation,” Dessner said.
Dessner is currently on tour with his band, Dream House Quartet, which is comprised of Dessner, pianists Katia and Marielle Làbeque and guitarist David Chalmin. The quartet performs original, composed pieces as well as material from other prominent composers including Philip Glass, Meredith Monk and Radiohead’s Thom Yorke. Dream House Quartet will be concluding the current leg of its tour on Friday, May 5, at Yale’s Schwarzman Center.
Katia and Marielle Labèque alongside pioneering composer-guitarists Bryce Dessner and David Chalmin of Dream House Quartet.
Contributed photo/Mélanie BordasThe group released its first EP this month, which features the Dessner-composed “Haven,” a piece that the musician said is “emblematic of what the group sounds like.” He said the group is working on releasing a full-length album in October.
At Yale, Dessner said his responsibilities include working with students and inviting other musicians to work at the university in order to develop their own projects. The ultimate goal, according to Dessner, is to “engage the community of the university, the larger city and the state of Connecticut.” Currently, Dessner is working with a roster of musicians to develop their works including Julia Bullock, Ash Fure, Nathalie Joachim Anna Thorvaldsdóttir and Schaal.
“Bryce Dessner, a prominent Yale graduate, is a musician of unusual flexibility and with extraordinary artistic strengths, which lend themselves well to working in the brand-new multifaceted performance spaces of the Schwarzman Center,” said Rachel Fine, Executive Director of Yale’s Schwarzman Center.
As an artist-in-residence, Fine said his multi-year residency is focused on fostering “belonging, creative expression and community” by helping curate the program. Dessner will also be involved in live performances and composing original compositions.
While not at Yale, Dessner can be seen performing with The National, who released its ninth studio album, “First Two Pages of Frankenstein,” on April 28. The album features guest appearances from the likes of Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers and Sufjan Stevens. The group performed in Bridgeport last year at the inaugural Sound On Sound music festival, and will perform this year at New Haven’s Westville Music Bowl on Thursday, Aug. 3.
The National perform at Sound On Sound music festival in Bridgeport, Conn. on Sunday, Sept. 25.
Andrew DaRosa/Hearst Media CT“To us, it feels like a very strong statement of where we are, and there are songs that I’m really proud of so I’m excited for people to hear it,” Dessner said.
The National has strong ties to the Nutmeg State, having worked with Bridgeport-based record producer Peter Katis on many of its past albums. The band also played at Katis’ wedding, and a photo of their performance ended up being the cover The National’s 2007 album, “Boxer.”
Dessner has also composed music for films, including Leonardo DiCaprio’s “The Revenant,” which was nominated for best original score at the Oscars and Golden Globes, and “Cyrano,” which made the leap from the theatre to the silver screen in 2021.
His compositional work has been commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, the Kronos Quartet and the New York City Ballet. Aside from Swift, he’s also also orchestrated for musicians like Bon Iver, Paul Simon, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Sufjan Stevens.
(L-R) Taylor Swift and Bryce Dessner attend the 65th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 05, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording ADespite being known as a guitar-slinging indie rocker, Dessner said that he appreciates the art of composing orchestral music. “I like music that takes a journey, that transports somewhere different from where you started,” Dessner said. “There’s a poetic quality to composing that you allow the language of the piece to define its journey.”
“Sometimes when you’re adding strings to a song, some of the techniques can be similar. But to me it’s all music,” Dessner added.
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