Jennifer Dirkes

Jennifer Dirkes is a composer and orchestrator for film, television, commercial, and concert works as well as a song arranger and mock-up artist.

Jennifer began studying piano when she was five years old and by age 14 she was studying composition. Her musical influences developed by performing musical theatre, playing tenor saxophone in jazz and concert band, singing in choirs, and pursuing her lifelong love of animated movies and film scores. She loves popular music, avant-guarde concert music, and exploring diverse genres.

Jennifer graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy in 2008 and continued on to Rice University, where she obtained a B.A. degree in Composition in 2012. She then received an M.A. and a Ph.D. from UCLA in 2014 and 2017, respectively. Her research involved the analysis of the rhythmic interaction between music and filmic elements in film scores, specifically in animated films.

Notable works include the score for festival-favorite Pulse, by Yangzi She, and orchestrations for season 2 of Netflix's The Crown. More recently, she worked with the creative team for several attractions at Disney’s Galaxy’s Edge, featuring the music of John Williams.