In 2013 composer/lutenist Jozef van Wissem won the Cannes Soundtrack Award for best score at the Cannes Film Festival for “Only Lovers Left Alive” a vampire film by Jim Jarmusch. His solo albums, “It Is All That Is Made “(2009) ,”Ex Patris” (2010) ,”The Joy That Never Ends” (2011) and “Nihil Obstat” (2013) were released on Important Records. “Concerning the Entrance into Eternity”, his first collaborative album with Jim Jarmusch, was released on the label in early 2012. “The Mystery of Heaven”, his second album with Jarmusch, was released on Sacred Bones Records later that year. “The More She Burns the More Beautifully She Glows”, a track off the album, featured a guest appearance from Tilda Swinton. They played live with her at ATP Iceland in 2013. He wrote a piece for lute and voice entitled “In Templum Dei” and sung by Zola Jesus” for “Only Lovers Left Alive”. They also performed live in New York and Berlin. Van Wissem has played solo at prestigious festivals like ATP and Primavera. He was commissioned by London’s National Gallery to compose a sound piece to Hans Holbein’s painting “The Ambassadors”. He composed and performed lute and voice pieces for the Sims Medieval video game. He played an ex-junky and did the soundtrack for “Red Right Return”. Van Wissem also performs live film soundtracks with drone pieces on 12 string electric guitar and electronics. He lectures on the liberation of the lute and on composing for film. Jozef had an all black, one-of-a-kind baroque lute custom build for him. He lives in New York City.