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Christopher Young

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Christopher Young
Young in 2022
Young in 2022
Background information
Born (1958-04-28) April 28, 1958 (age 66)
Red Bank, New Jersey, U.S.
GenresFilm score
OccupationComposer orchestrator
InstrumentPiano
Years active1982–present
Websiteofficialchristopheryoung.com

Christopher Young (born April 28, 1958) is an American composer and orchestrator of film and television scores.[1]

Many of his compositions are for horror and thriller films, including Hellraiser, Species, Urban Legend, The Grudge, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Drag Me to Hell, Sinister, Deliver Us from Evil and Pet Sematary. Other works include Rapid Fire, Copycat, Set It Off, Entrapment, The Hurricane, Swordfish, Ghost Rider, Spider-Man 3, and The Shipping News, for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score.

Young was honored with the prestigious Richard Kirk award at the 2008 BMI Film and TV Awards. The award is given annually to a composer who has made significant contributions to film and television music.[2]

Early life and education

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Young was born in Red Bank, New Jersey.[3] He graduated from Hampshire College in Massachusetts with a Bachelor of Arts in music, and then completed his post-graduate work at the University of North Texas.

Career

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In 1980, he moved to Los Angeles. Originally a jazz drummer, when he heard some of Bernard Herrmann's works he decided to become a film composer. He studied at the UCLA Film School under David Raksin. He teaches at the Thornton School of Music of the University of Southern California.[4]

Discography

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Film

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1960s

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Year Title Director Notes
1968 Robby Ralph C. Bluemke 1983 re-issue score

1980s

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Year Title Director Notes
1982 The Dorm That Dripped Blood Stephen Carpenter
Jeffrey Obrow
Highpoint Peter Carter
1984 The Oasis Sparky Greene
The Power Stephen Carpenter
Jeffrey Obrow
1985 Avenging Angel Robert Vincent O'Neil
Def-Con 4 Paul Donovan
Wheels of Fire Cirio H. Santiago
Wizards of the Lost Kingdom Héctor Olivera
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge Jack Sholder
Barbarian Queen Héctor Olivera
Godzilla 1985 R.J. Kizer
Koji Hashimoto
Part of Young's score from Def-Con 4 appears in several scenes, including Godzilla's attack on the Soviet submarine, the scene where the SDF armored division arrives in Tokyo Bay, and Okumura's near-death experience during the helicopter extraction in Tokyo.[citation needed]
1986 Getting Even Dwight H. Little
Torment Samson Aslanian
John Hopkins
Invaders from Mars Tobe Hooper
Trick or Treat Charles Martin Smith
1987 Hellraiser Clive Barker
Flowers in the Attic Jeffrey Bloom
U-Boats: The Wolfpack Short film
1988 The Telephone Rip Torn
Hellbound: Hellraiser II Tony Randel
Bat*21 Peter Markle
Haunted Summer Ivan Passer
1989 Vietnam War Story: The Last Days David Burton Morris
Sandy Smolan
Segments "Last Outpost, The", "Dirty Work"
The Fly II Chris Walas
Hider in the House Matthew Patrick

1990s

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Year Title Director Notes
1990 Bright Angel Michael Fields
Max and Helen Philip Saville
1992 The Vagrant Chris Walas
Rapid Fire Dwight H. Little
Jennifer 8 Bruce Robinson
1993 The Dark Half George A. Romero
Dream Lover Nicholas Kazan
1994 Judicial Consent William Bindley
1995 Murder in the First Marc Rocco
Tales from the Hood Rusty Cundieff
Species Roger Donaldson
Virtuosity Brett Leonard
Copycat Jon Amiel
1996 Unforgettable John Dahl
Set It Off F. Gary Gray
Head Above Water Jim Wilson
Norma Jean & Marilyn Tim Fywell
1997 Murder at 1600 Dwight H. Little
The Man Who Knew Too Little Jon Amiel
1998 Hard Rain Mikael Salomon
Hush Jonathan Darby
Rounders John Dahl
Judas Kiss Sebastian Gutierrez
Urban Legend Jamie Blanks
Playing by Heart Willard Carroll replacement for score by John Barry
1999 Entrapment Jon Amiel
In Too Deep Michael Rymer
The Big Kahuna John Swanbeck
The Hurricane Norman Jewison

2000s

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Year Title Director Notes
2000 Wonder Boys Curtis Hanson
Bless the Child Chuck Russell
The Gift Sam Raimi
2001 Sweet November Pat O'Connor
Swordfish Dominic Sena
Scenes of the Crime Dominique Forma
The Glass House Daniel Sackheim
Bandits Barry Levinson
The Shipping News Lasse Hallström
2002 The Tower E. Gedney Webb
Jim Elliott
The Country Bears Peter Hastings
2003 The Core Jon Amiel
Runaway Jury Gary Fleder
2004 Something the Lord Made Joseph Sargent
The Grudge Takashi Shimizu
2005 Beauty Shop Bille Woodruff
The Exorcism of Emily Rose Scott Derrickson
2006 The Grudge 2 Takashi Shimizu
2007 Ghost Rider Mark Steven Johnson
Spider-Man 3 Sam Raimi Themes by Danny Elfman
Lucky You Curtis Hanson
Shortcut to Happiness Harry Kirkpatrick Co-composed with Ramin Djawadi
2008 Untraceable Gregory Hoblit
Sleepwalking William Maher
The Informers Gregor Jordan
2009 The Uninvited The Guard Brothers
Drag Me to Hell Sam Raimi
Creation Jon Amiel
Love Happens Brandon Camp

2010s

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Year Title Director Notes
2010 When in Rome Mark Steven Johnson
Gone with the Pope Duke Mitchell
The Black Tulip Sonia Nassery Cole
2011 Priest Scott Stewart
Box of Shadows Mauro Borrelli
The Rum Diary Bruce Robinson
2012 Sinister Scott Derrickson
Scary or Die Bob Badway
Michael Emanuel
Igor Meglic
The Baytown Outlaws Barry Battles
2013 Killing Season Mark Steven Johnson
Gods Behaving Badly Marc Turtletaub
A Madea Christmas Tyler Perry
2014 The Monkey King Cheang Pou-soi
The Single Moms Club Tyler Perry
Deliver Us from Evil Scott Derrickson
2016 The Monkey King 2 Cheang Pou-soi
2019 Pet Sematary Kevin Kölsch
Dennis Widmyer

2020s

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Year Title Director Notes
2020 The Empty Man David Prior
2023 The Offering Oliver Park

Television

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Year Title Notes
2020 50 States of Fright With Caleb Chan and Brian Chan
2022 Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities
Echo 3

Video games

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Year Title Notes
2009 The Saboteur Theme music
2017 Wilson's Heart

References

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  1. ^ "Christopher Young : The New York Times review". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2012-11-04. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  2. ^ "BMI Film & Television Awards Tout Composers of Year's Top Film and Television Music". Bmi.com. 22 May 2008. Retrieved 2010-10-21.
  3. ^ "Bio". OfficialChristopherYoung.com. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  4. ^ "Christopher Young". Music.usc.edu. March 20, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
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