Dirk Johan Stromberg is an American musician.  His passions in music are inspired by a nomadic lifestyle that began at birth.  Having grown up in Europe (Great Britain, Switzerland and The Netherlands) music as a common language of expression is a strong theme in his music.  Later, having lived in Texas and New York City, the vast cultural divide and the intolerable similarities between Europe and the United States along with the book Tropendrift he was driven to South East Asia, which has had a profound influence on his music and philosophy. 

His musical influences come from classical, jazz, improvised, pop, music of South Asia, the Far East and the avant-guard.  Being interested in the spontaneity and intimacy in performance, his compositional style, performance and research are based on combinations of exploring sound pallets of acoustic instruments and their integrations with technology through the use of artificial intelligence and re-synthesis techniques in reactive, semi-improvised and aleatoric performances.

Dirk’s music has been performed in Europe and the United States including; Bucharest, Istanbul, Amsterdam and New York City and his music has been programmed on several radio stations throughout the United States along with several online radio communities.  His music appears on several compilations and a two CD set of Dirk’s composition Tropendrift released by Indeknipscheer based on the poetry of Dutch poet Albert Hagenaars.

He has been a composer in residence at STEIM (Studio for Electronic Instrumental Music) and has received recognition for his work from ISAM (Institute for Study in American Music) and MATA (Music At The Anthology).

Dirk Stromberg also works as a production consultant in music and performer and has produced several CDs and DVDs of electro-acoustic and acoustic music and performs regularly internationally. 

He holds a Bachelor of Music from Texas Tech University and a Masters of         Music from Brooklyn College, CUNY.  He is currently on faculty at Istanbul Bilgi University, Turkey. His current projects include physical as well as web-instillations (in collaboration with David C. Scott), a work for saxophonist Robert Reigle, an opera and a book about musical evolution and style entitled, "Timeline to an Aesthetic: a Look at a Canon and Composer's Musical DNA."

List of works

Stage:

2005: Tropendrift: for actor, chamber group and live-electronics (text by Albert Hagenaars, translation by John Irons), 2004: tHE sIS: for actor, tape, chamber group and live-electronics (text by composer), 2003: Terminus (chamber mono drama, libretto by composer), 2003: Remnant (chamber mono drama, libretto by composer), 2000: Buying a Father (a chamber operetta, libretto David C. Scott)

Wind Ensemble:

2001 Dialogues for wind ensemble

Chamber:

2006: Eastern Dreams for solo prepared guitar, 2004: After the Millennium Still Frustrated for chamber group and live electronics, 2003: Failing Thoughts of Memories for string quartet, 2003: Cruel World for brass sextet and live electronics, 2003: Descents for guitar, 2003: Soothsayer: for chamber group (text by William Hall), 2002: Akeldama: for mixed percussion (text by composer), 2002: The Myth of Sisyphus for violoncello (text by Albert Camus), 2002: Sketches for a Self-Portrait for guitar, 2002: Frantic Five for solo percussion, 2001: Disruptions for saxophone and guitar, 2001: Heroines for English horn and piano, 2000: Discordance: for English horn and piano, 2000: Heritage: for piano quintet, 2000, Improvisation: for two instruments, 1999: Desolation: for mixed chamber ensemble, 1999: The Loss of My Enchantress: for Solo Saxophone, 1999: Millennial Frustrations: for melodic and harmonic instrument,

Piano:

2002: Orchestral Sketches for Piano, 2001: 911… in Protest of, 2000: Piano Journals

Electro-Acoustic:

2005: still… for tape, 2005: again… for tape, 2005: The Paint They Left on My Lips for laptop, 2004: Needles Playing the Blues for guitar and live electronics, 2004: A Few Days in a Few Seconds for voice and live electronics, 2004: Sound Imprints for laptop and ambient noise, 2003: 2003: Dream Bells for laptop, Time Bells for tape, 2003: yet… for tape, 2003 once… for tape,

Discography

Tropendrift (Double CD) 2006 In De Knipscheer

Flute: Andrea La Rose, Saxophones: Christopher Bacas, Guitar: Alfredo Marin, Electronics: Dirk Johan Stromberg