From his days as one of the pioneering icons of electronic music, a jazz artist to his current status as a renowned film composer, Mark Isham continues to be one of the most prolific and provocative artists working today. His gift for creating unforgettable melodies and his love of fresh, innovative musical palettes have earned Isham many awards including a Grammy, an Emmy, and a Clio. Additionally, his film scores have earned him Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. Isham is also the recipient of the prestigious Henry Mancini Career Achievement Award for musical excellence.
Mark Isham’s collaborators include icons from both film and music – Robert Redford, Tom Cruise, Brian De Palma, Jodi Foster, Robert Altman, Sting, Will.I.Am, Sidney Lumet, and Mick Jagger. Crash director Paul Haggis stated, “I merely asked Mark Isham, to completely forget everything he has ever done and reinvent himself. And he has never failed to do so.” Robert Redford, who worked with Isham on four features (Quiz Show, A River Runs Through It, Lions for Lambs and The Conspirator) remarked “Mark is a man who really lives his craft. One of the most attractive features about Mark is that he knows how to keep the music subtle, but still support the drama. Mark does that so beautifully.”
As a prolific film composer, Mark Isham continues to demonstrate his diverse musical voice with over one hundred film scores including Warrior, Dolphin Tale, The Lucky One, Eight Below, The Cooler, Blade, Save the Last Dance, and The Secret Life of Bees. His recent credits include the Jackie Robinson biopic 42. Isham’s suite from the film 42 was premiered by the New York Philharmonic on July 13, 2013 during the MLB Sandy Relief Concert featuring Mariah Carey in Central Park. Isham also co-composed the score toThe Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete with Alicia Keys, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival last January. In addition to returning for the third season of ABC’s hit seriesOnce Upon A Time, he is also scoring ABC’s newest series Once Upon A Time in Wonderland. This November, Isham’s score can be heard on the Jason Statham-James Franco feature thriller Homefront. Currently, Isham is working on the music for Frank Darabont’s TNT original series Mob City, premiering on December 4, 2013.
Prominent Works
- 2011 – 2015 – Once Upon a Time – TV Series (composer – 65 episodes)
- 2011 – Warrior (music producer)
- 2009 – Crash – TV Series (composer – 11 episodes)
- 1991 – Point Break (producer: original motion picture score)
Recent Awards
- 2012:
- ASCAP Award – Top TV Series for Once Upon A Time
- International Film Music Festival in Cordoba, Spain – President
- Transatlantyk Film Festival in Poznan, Poland Honorary President
- 2010:
- HMMA Best Film Score – Won Warrior
- Ubeda International Film Music Festival Jerry Goldsmith Award
- 2008 – GZ Film Festival – Best Score – The Crazies
- 2007:
- Hollywood Film Festival Award – Won Composer of the Year Award
- International Film Music Critics Association Award – Won for Best Score for a Drama Film for The Black Dahlia
- ASCAP – Won for Top Box Office Films for Eight Below
- 2005 – AFI Award – Won for Crash
- 2002 – Grammy Award – Nominated for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media for Men of Honor
