Producer, composer, orchestrator and session musician Justin Goldner harbors a deep passion for groove, culture and connections. A musical alchemist with contributions to Grammy, Tony, Golden Globe and Latin Grammy-winning projects (Dear Evan Hansen, The Greatest Showman, Spirited, etc.), and performances at such storied venues as Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, the Apollo Theater and Madison Square Garden where he recently accompanied Ben Platt live at the 60th annual Grammy Awards, he’s been fortunate to make music with the likes of Sting, Ricky Martin, Macy Gray, Shawn Mendes, Donald Glover, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Stephen Sondheim, Ledisi, Jordin Sparks, Hugh Jackman, Ariana DeBose, Steve Martin, Matisyahu, Max Martin, Allison Williams, Audra McDonald, Jesse McCartney, Emily Kinney, Jason Robert Brown and an ever-increasing host of others, including his mentor, Meshell Ndegeocello.
Justin draws upon both organic and electronic textures in crafting sonic tapestries for pop artists, music for picture and other assorted media, as well as sonic design for theater and art installations. Production credits include Tori Kelly and Ariana DeBose, while his work on Grace McLean’s upcoming debut album My Lovely Enemy threads together disparate sonic elements to form a patchwork brew of spicy yet inviting songs that keep the listener on their toes.
As a creator for film and television, Justin draws on an arsenal of plucked string instruments amassed through world travels, introducing unfamiliar textures in novel ways. Collaborations with artists from a variety of artistic traditions, including renowned Bollywood composers Shankar Mahadevan and Vishal Bhardwaj, as well Latin-Grammy winning Venezuelan artist Linda Briceño have demonstrated a wide cultural vocabulary for artistic collaboration. A restless traveler, peripatetic New Yorker and “language junkie”, music has taken Justin to 47 states and 68 countries including Iran, Latin America, South Africa and 3 of the 7 “-stans”, where he has performed and engaged with local cultures, conducted workshops in 3 languages and exchanged experiences and music with others from across the world.
