Jan Martin Smørdal

Composer from Horten, Norway, brought up as a band musician.Master degree in performing and composition from the Academy of Music in Oslo.Classes with a.o. Carola Bauckholt, Henrik Hellstenius and Lasse Thoresen.Often concerned with topics where improvisation meets traditional composing, always working with rhythms, swarms/emergence, and group-individual relations.Composed commisioned works for chamber musicians, solo pieces, sinfonietta ensembles, orchestra, choirs - as well as installations for bridges, mills and rooms.Co-founder and co-director of the Ensemble neoN, cooperating with international renown musicians and composers like Alvin Lucier, Oren Ambarchi, Phil Niblock, Marina Rosenfeld and Susanna Wallumrød.Worked 10 years as performer and guitar player in bands, and as a solo artist.Made numerous productions with the performance ensemble L.U.N.Produced, composed and played on more than 40 records since 2004, contributed to several Norwegian Grammy (Spellemannpris) award winning records.

Have been teacher in "Improvisation" at the Academy of Music in Oslo, and occasionally as supervisor for master students at the University of Oslo.