The Halldorophone in the Arrival Soundtrack
Arrival is a 2016 science fiction film directed by Denis Villeneuve, starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner. The score was composed by Jóhann Jóhannsson and released on Deutsche Grammophon on November 11, 2016. Hildur Guðnadóttir appears as a credited performer on cello, halldorophone (listed on the sleeve as "dórophone"), and voice.
The Score
Jóhannsson composed the Arrival score to reflect the film's central concern with language, time, and non-linear perception. The score combines orchestral writing for the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra with vocal ensemble Theatre of Voices, conducted by Paul Hillier, alongside a range of electronic and acoustic textures. Guðnadóttir's contributions form part of the instrumental and timbral foundation of the work.
Arrival was Jóhannsson's third film collaboration with Villeneuve, following Prisoners (2013) and Sicario (2015). The score received widespread critical recognition and earned Jóhannsson a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Score.
The Instrument
The halldorophone is an electroacoustic string instrument built around the deliberate use of audio feedback. It was designed and built by Halldór Úlfarsson, who first developed it as his MFA graduation piece at what is now Aalto University in Helsinki in 2008.
The instrument has eight strings: four main strings played with a bow and four sympathetic strings that resonate through the feedback system. Each string has a dedicated pickup. The signals are fed back through a speaker mounted inside the body of the instrument, creating a closed loop of mechanical vibration. The resulting sound — sustained, harmonically dense, and unpredictable — suited the sonic world Jóhannsson was building for Arrival.
Credits (selected)
- Jóhann Jóhannsson — composer, producer, keyboards, tape loops, sound design
- Hildur Guðnadóttir — cello, halldorophone (dórophone), voice
- Theatre of Voices — choir
- Paul Hillier — conductor (Theatre of Voices)
- City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra
- Recorded at Smecky Music Studios, Prague
- Released November 11, 2016 on Deutsche Grammophon
Further Reading
- Arrival (soundtrack) — Wikipedia
- Arrival — Wikipedia
- Halldorophone — Wikipedia
- Bela Blog Interview with Halldór Úlfarsson (2025)