From Oskaloosa to the Film Screen: Aleksandra Nagorna Builds a Career Through Music

Aleksandra Nagorna speaks during an interview with Oskaloosa News inside the Oskaloosa News studio. The Oskaloosa High School graduate has built a career as a composer, musician, educator, and film scorer, recently earning recognition for her work on the award-winning film “Jury of Her Peers.” Nagorna discussed her journey from growing up in Oskaloosa to composing music for films, theater productions, and orchestras across Iowa.

OSKALOOSA — When Aleksandra Nagorna moved to Oskaloosa as a third grader, she struggled to find her place.

Today, the Oskaloosa High School graduate is an award-winning composer whose music can be heard in films, theater productions, orchestras, and community performances across Iowa.

Nagorna recently composed the original score for the feature film “Jury of Her Peers,” a project that went on to win Best Professional Feature and the Iowa Connection Award at the 2026 Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival. The film was directed by William Rock and produced by a team of Iowa filmmakers.

For Nagorna, the journey from Oskaloosa student to professional composer was anything but straightforward.

Born to Ukrainian parents, she moved to Oskaloosa around third grade after spending time in other Iowa communities. While she now proudly calls Oskaloosa home, she remembers that fitting in wasn’t always easy.

“I don’t think it was until maybe late high school that I really felt like I was part of the community,” Nagorna said.

Ukrainian and Russian were the first languages spoken in her home. As a child, she learned English through school and by watching cartoons.

“I learned English watching SpongeBob,” she said.

Despite those challenges, Nagorna found a home in music.

She began playing violin in fourth grade through the Oskaloosa school music program under longtime educator Bruce McClellan. What started as a childhood activity eventually became the foundation for a career.

After graduating from Oskaloosa High School, Nagorna attended Iowa State University, where she earned a music degree while also studying mathematics. She later traveled to Bulgaria to earn a Master of Fine Arts degree in Music for Motion Pictures and Contemporary Media from the Film Scoring Academy of Europe.

Today, she works as a composer, music producer, educator, violin instructor, and adjunct music professor. She also served as Editorial and Music Production Manager for the historic C.L. Barnhouse Company.

Her work can be found in film productions, community theater, and concert performances throughout Iowa.

In addition to composing the score for “Jury of Her Peers,” Nagorna has written music for productions at the George Daily Auditorium and continues to perform as a violinist and entertainer at Renaissance festivals across the state.

While her career has taken her far beyond Mahaska County, Nagorna credits Oskaloosa for providing opportunities that helped shape her future.

“I think Oskaloosa has been uniquely situated compared to other rural Iowa towns of the same size in terms of setting people up for success,” she said.

She points to the community’s support of arts education, music programs, theater, and extracurricular activities as key reasons young people can find opportunities here.

“I feel happy and proud to say that I’m from Oskaloosa,” Nagorna said.

Nagorna also spoke about the importance of community involvement and seeking opportunities rather than waiting for them to appear.

“Opportunities are available if you seek them out,” she said. “Be a villager in your village. Do things. Participate in your community.”

That message comes from someone who has spent much of her life doing exactly that.

From orchestra rehearsals and theater productions in Oskaloosa to composing award-winning film scores and conducting orchestras, Nagorna has built a career by following her passion for music while staying connected to the community that helped launch it.

For young people wondering whether success can come from a small Iowa town, Nagorna offers a simple reminder.

“Oskaloosa is not a hole in the middle of nowhere,” she said. “There’s a lot of opportunities here.”

As her career continues to grow, Nagorna’s story serves as another example of how local talent can find success on much larger stages while never forgetting where the journey began.