With a gift for merging classical tradition and contemporary innovation, composer and pianist Dika Chartoff creates music that transcends genre boundaries and captivates with emotional immediacy. Her works, whether weaving intricate textures or embracing lyrical simplicity, carry a distinct sense of urgency and authenticity—inviting listeners into vivid, narrative sound worlds.
Though trained as a classical pianist, Dika discovered her true passion behind the scenes - composing, teaching, and collaborating with performers and filmmakers. Her creative journey began in film scoring in New York City and collaborating with the NYU film school students. She has since scored award-winning independent films, including Blue Heart (2021) and the BAFTA nominated short Variables (2019), as well as two Sundance-premiered films, Knife Point (2009) and Memories of Underdevelopment (2010), and student Academy Award winner Down in Number 5 (2009).
Recent concert works highlight Dika’s evolving voice in contemporary music. Retrospects in Reverb, commissioned by pianist Clare Longendyke, premiered at Carnegie Hall in January 2025 and will be released in 2026. Un-controlling, for cello, piano, and two e-bows, featured Grammy-nominated cellist Dave Eggar and pianist Yifei Xu in its 2023 Bargemusic premiere, followed by a Los Angeles recording session. This collaboration inspired Suspiro, written for Eggar and clarinetist Tasha Warren, to be featured on their upcoming 2026 album Motherload alongside works by Norah Jones and Martha Redbone.
An alumna of the Mostly Modern Festival in Saratoga Springs, NY, Dika premiered four works there, including her orchestral piece AGE in 2022. Mentorship from composers Robert Paterson and Alex Shapiro further deepened her commitment to expanding her artistic horizons.
Currently, Dika is developing her debut chamber music album Dinner Chats, featuring duets for piano and Rhodes vintage keyboard plug-in, alongside works for voice, electronics, and strings. This project received the 2026 Individual Artist Project Grant from the City of Santa Monica Arts Commission.
Born and raised in Sarajevo, Dika became a refugee during the Bosnian War in 1992, finding sanctuary in Germany before moving to the United States on full scholarships to study piano performance—earning her bachelor’s degree from the University of Bridgeport and her master’s from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She now lives in Santa Monica, California, with her husband William, daughter Jazzy, and their beloved border collie, Heidi.