Inon Zur
Inon Zur | |
|---|---|
 Inon Zur in 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Israel |
| Genres | Video game music Film score Trailer music |
| Occupation | Composer |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Website | inonzur |
Inon Zur (Hebrew: ינון צור, [jiˈnon ˈt͡sur]) is an Israeli-American composer of soundtracks for film, television, and video games. He has composed soundtracks for over 80 video games, which include Dragon Age, EverQuest, Fallout, Prince of Persia, Star Trek, the Syberia series, and Starfield. He has received multiple nominations, including three BAFTAs, and has won several awards, including an Emmy. Various music awards for his soundtracks on Men of Valor (2004), Crysis (2008), Dragon Age: Origins (2009), The Elder Scrolls: Blades (2019), Syberia: The World Before (2023) and Starfield (2024). [1]
Early life
[edit]Inon Zur was born in Israel. At the age of five, he was trying to compose harmonies with his mother's singing, and became inspired by classical music.[2] He learned to play the French horn as a child, studied piano by the age of eight, and was studying composition by the age of ten.[2][3] He graduated from the Music Academy of Tel Aviv, and spent four years in the Israeli Army in an elite Armored unit. He emigrated to the United States in 1990 to study at the Dick Grove School of Music for a year, and then under private tutor Jack Smalley, a television music composer, and others for two years at the University of California, Los Angeles.[3][4]
Career
[edit]Zur began his career in 1994 by working on soundtracks for movies, such as Yellow Lotus, featured at the Sundance Film Festival. He signed on to compose for Fox Family for six years, and made soundtracks for various children's television shows produced by Saban Entertainment, including Big Bad Beetleborgs, Digimon and Power Rangers. By 2002, he estimated that he had composed the soundtrack to over 360 Power Rangers episodes.[4] His compositions for these programs were credited to Shuki Levy and Kussa Mahchi (an allias for Haim Saban), with Zur usually only being credited as a music producer. This was allegedly so the duo could collect the music royalties. Zur and all other composers working at this company agreed to give up the rights to their compositions prior to joining.[5][6] He won his first award during this period in his career, a Telly Award for his work on Power Rangers: Turbo.[7] While he enjoyed the work, he began to want to go work somewhere "more intriguing, more advanced, and basically a place that people really appreciate music more"; his agent overcame his initial reluctance and convinced him to work in the video games industry.[8] His first video game soundtrack was 2000's Star Trek: Klingon Academy, which he started composing for the game in 1997.[3] Zur moved on to prestigious titles, composing for the award-winning and critically acclaimed Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal in 2001 and Icewind Dale II in 2002, among many others. Icewind Dale II earned him the first of many nominations for video game music awards, that of the Game Audio Network Guild's Music of the Year award.[9] He continued to work on movies and television programs during these years.
Zur has made dozens of cinematic scores for trailers. His last full movie soundtrack to date was that of 2014's Reclaim. He has worked on a few television series since then; his last traditional television soundtrack was for Ghost Whisperer in 2007, though he has composed music for webisode and Animated series since then. He continued to work on numerous video games, including Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones in 2005 and Crysis in 2007.[10] He has garnered several nominations for video game music awards, including his first win, for Men of Valor in the Best Original Instrumental track category of the 2004 Game Audio Network Guild awards.[11]
Zur penned the original musical score for Crysis, Dragon Age, Fallout, Syberia, and Starfield franchises.
The most notable titles Zur has composed for have been Icewind Dale II (2002), EverQuest Online Adventures (2003), Men of Valor (2004), Crysis (2007), Fallout 3 (2008), Prince of Persia (2008), Dragon Age: Origins (2009), Fallout: New Vegas (2010), World of Tanks (2010), Dragon Age II (2011), Fallout 4 (2015), Fallout 76 (2018), The Elder Scrolls: Blades (2019) and, most recently, Starfield (2023).[10][12]
Performances
[edit]Zur's compositions have been played several times in live concerts. The first of these was a concert held in Seoul, South Korea, on May 30, 2006, dedicated to his music for Lineage II: Chronicle V: Oath of Blood.[13] On August 20, 2008, music from his soundtrack to Crysis was played in Leipzig, Germany, at a Video Games Live concert.[14] His music from Dragon Age: Origins and Prince of Persia was performed at the September 26, 2009 "A Night in Fantasia 2009" concert in Sydney, Australia, by the Eminence Symphony Orchestra. Zur was a special guest at the concert.[15][16]
In an industry first, a dedicated concert of his music from Lord of the Rings: War in the North was performed each evening at the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles. The one-hour concert series was conducted by Zur and performed by The Hollywood Orchestra and Choir with the participation of The Lyris Quartet and solos from celebrated vocalist Aubrey Ashburn. He originally conducted and recorded the game with the London Philharmonia Orchestra and the Pinewood Singers Choir at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London.
In 2018, at the London venue the Eventim Apollo, Zur composed his different pieces from the Fallout and The Elder Scrolls series during a live concert that Bethesda Game Studios co-hosted with the War Child (charity).[17] The London Symphony Orchestra performed Zur's Starfield score at Bethesda's 10th Anniversary The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim concert in 2021.[18] The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra gave a 10-year concert on June 25, 2023, at The Game Awards, which featured well-known video game soundtracks. The concert included a rendition of Zur's Starfield theme.[19]
Legacy
[edit]Zur's music has been featured in numerous top-selling game franchises. He has been described as being "internationally recognized as one of the A-list orchestral composers in the video games industry".[13] Variety named him on a short list of top video game composers.[20]
In the film industry Zur specializes on cinematic scoring for film trailers. He's worked with the likes of BMG Production Music on films such as the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Hobbit, and Avengers: Age of Ultron. Including dozens of other film trailer music.[21]
His songs have often been covered by numerous artists. Raney Shockne and Elizaveta did a cover of Zur's Dragon Age: Origins "I am the One" song for Dragon Age: Inquisitions. Zur was inducted into The Recording Academy as a new member in 2023.[22]
Musical style and influences
[edit]Zur's compositions frequently are focused on full orchestras, choir and, in some games like Prince of Persia, ethnic instruments like Arabic flutes and the woodwind duduk.[23] He has often collaborated with the Northwest Sinfonia orchestra from Seattle, though he has on occasion used other orchestras.[8] Whenever Zur works with a real orchestra, he always conducts it himself.[13] He has named some of his musical influences as classical artists such as Sergey Prokofiev, Igor Stravinsky, and Beethoven, movie composers like John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith, and jazz artists like George Gershwin and Henry McFeeny.[4] While he would one day like to compose music not intended to be part of a larger piece of media, he finds that the pressure of a deadline and the feedback from the developers are crucial in his development process.[24] He feels that his music sounds best when it is in the context given by the media it was made for, though he feels that performances of the music by itself transforms it "from just a soundtrack to an art form on its own".[25] Zur sometimes collaborates with other musicians while composing his game soundtracks; for example, he worked with Florence and the Machine to create a unique rendition of "I'm Not Calling You A Liar" for the Dragon Age II soundtrack.[26]
Zur typically is brought in to compose for a game once it is mostly complete, though he notes that that is earlier than for films and television—where nothing changes after he starts besides post-production effects—making video game music composition a more "flexible" process. He finds that it is "crucial" for him to play a game before he can compose music for it, even if it's only a development version.[4] Rather than compose music based around the setting in the game where it will be played, Zur composes music around the emotion that he wants the player to feel at that point in the game.[8] While he feels that music composition technology has come far enough in recent years to no longer be a limiting factor in his music, he does feel that the music budgets for games limit what he can create.[27] Zur feels that he is considered in the industry to be a very fast composer, which he attributes to his tendency to compose music "intuitively", rather than spending a lot of time planning it out.[13] When not composing, Zur likes to play video games, especially those he has composed for, as well as play basketball and spend time with his family.[28] The types of projects that he would like to work on in the future that he has not yet done are children's games and soundtracks incorporating jazz music.[27]
Works
[edit]Video games
[edit]Films
[edit]Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Valley of the Dolls | |
| 1995 | Big Bad Beetleborgs | |
| 1996 | The Vision of Escaflowne | |
| 1997 | Power Rangers Turbo | |
| Beetleborgs Metallix | ||
| 1998 | Ramadhan in Indonesia | |
| Power Rangers in Space | ||
| Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog | ||
| Like Father, Like Santa | Television film | |
| 1999 | Au Pair | Television film |
| Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot | ||
| 1999 | Power Rangers Lost Galaxy | |
| 2000 | St. Patrick: The Irish Legend | |
| Final Ascent | Television film | |
| 2001 | Au Pair II | Television film |
| Power Rangers Time Force | ||
| 2007 | Ghost Whisperer | 3 episodes |
| 2010 | The Walking Dead | Trailer |
| 2016 | Fallout: The Junktown Ranger | Short |
| 2017 | Legion | Trailer |
| 2022 | We Baby Bears | Additional music |
| 2023–present | The Settled Systems: A Starfield Animated Anthology | Webisode Series |
| 2024 | Fallout | Theme Writer and Two episodes |
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Telly Awards | Best Score[7] | Power Rangers: Turbo | Won |
| 2001 | Gamespy: Game of the Year Awards | Best Original Music[31] | Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal | Won |
| 2002 | Game Audio Network Guild | Music of the Year[9] | Icewind Dale II | Nominated |
| 2003 | Game Audio Network Guild | Best Original Instrumental Song[9] | SOCOM II U.S. Navy SEALs – "Main Theme" | Nominated |
| 2004 | Game Audio Network Guild | Best Original Instrumental Song[11] | Men of Valor – "Main Theme" | Won |
| Best Live Performance Recording[11] | Men of Valor | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Soundtrack Album[11] | Men of Valor | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Soundtrack Album[11] | Shadow Ops: Red Mercury | Nominated | ||
| 2006 | Canadian Awards for the Electronic & Animated Arts | Best Original Musical Score[32] | Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Dark Crusade | Nominated |
| 2008 | 5th British Academy Games Awards | Best Original Score[33] | Fallout 3 | Nominated |
| Spike Video Game Awards | Best Original Score[34] | Fallout 3 | Nominated | |
| Golden Joystick Awards | Soundtrack of the Year[35] | Fallout 3 | Nominated | |
| Game Audio Network Guild | Best Original Vocal – Choral[36] | Prince of Persia – "Menu Theme" | Nominated | |
| Best Original Instrumental[36] | Prince of Persia – "Healed Land" | Nominated | ||
| Motion Picture Sound Editors | Best Sound Editing - Computer Entertainment | Crysis | Nominated | |
| 2009 | Hollywood Music in Media Awards | Best Original Song – Video Game[37] | Dragon Age: Origins – "I Am the One" | Won |
| Best Original Score – Video Game[37] | Dragon Age: Origins | Nominated | ||
| Game Audio Network Guild | Music of the Year[38] | Dragon Age: Origins | Nominated | |
| Best Soundtrack Album[38] | Dragon Age: Origins | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Vocal – Pop[38] | Dragon Age: Origins – "I Am the One" (High Fantasy Version) | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Vocal – Pop[38] | Dragon Age: Origins – "Lelianna's Song" | Nominated | ||
| Movie Music UK Awards | Best Original Video Game Score | Dragon Age: Origins | Won | |
| Game Audio Network Guild | Best Interactive Score | Crysis | Won | |
| 2011 | Hollywood Music In Media Award | Best Original Score – Video Game | Dragon Age II | Nominated |
| Best Original Song – Video Game | Dragon Age II – "Rogue Heart" | Nominated | ||
| Spike Video Game Awards | Best Song In A Game | Dragon Age II – "I’m Not Calling You A Liar" | Nominated | |
| 2012 | Game Audio Network Guild | Best Original Vocal – Pop[39] | Dragon Age II – "Rogue Heart" | Nominated |
| 2014 | Hollywood Music In Media Award | Best Original Score - Video Game | Asura | Nominated |
| 11th British Academy Games Awards | Music | Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved | Nominated | |
| 2015 | Game Audio Network Guild[39] | Best Original Song – | Sword Coast Legends – "The Path Of Destiny" | Nominated |
| Hollywood Music In Media Award | Best Original Song – Video Game | Sword Coast Legends – "The Path Of Destiny" | Nominated | |
| Game Audio Network Guild | Vocal Theme – Video Game | Sword Coast Legends – "The Path Of Destiny" | Nominated | |
| The Game Awards 2015 | Best Score/Soundtrack | Fallout 4 | Nominated | |
| 2016 | Game Audio Network Guild | Best Interactive Score | Fallout 4 | Nominated |
| 12th British Academy Games Awards | Music | Fallout 4 | Nominated | |
| 2017 | National Capital / Chesapeake Bay Emmy Awards | Documentary - Topical | Saber Rock | Won |
| 2019 | Hollywood Music In Media Award | Best Original Score/Song – Mobile Game | The Elder Scrolls: Blades | Won |
| GoldSpirit Awards | Best Original Score for a Videogame | Fallout 76 | Nominated | |
| 2023 | Game Audio Network Guild | Best Physical Soundtrack Album | Syberia: The World Before | Nominated |
| NYX Game Awards | Best Music for PC Game | Syberia: The World Before | Won | |
| Hollywood Music in Media Award | Best Original Song/Score - Mobile Video Game | PUBG Mobile[b] | Won | |
| 2024 | BMI Film & TV Awards | Video Game Award (Music) | Starfield | Won |
Note
[edit]- ^ originally named "Secret Project Number Three" using music from the film Assassin's Creed: Ascendance
- ^ Short for PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Mobile, and known in China as Game for Peace (also known as Peacekeeper Elite or He ping jing ying)
References
[edit]- ^ "Inon Zur Awards". imdb. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ a b Beradini, César (August 20, 2004). "Inon Zur Interview". IGN. Archived from the original on February 26, 2011. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
- ^ a b c Ittensohn, Oliver. "Interview – Inon Zur". GSoundtracks. Retrieved September 27, 2009.
- ^ a b c d McCarroll, John (February 2, 2002). "Inon Zur Interview". RPGFan. Retrieved September 27, 2009.
- ^ "The Influencer". The New Yorker. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
- ^ David Robb (September 18–20, 1998). "Composers say they're paupers in royalty game". Hollywood Reporter – via groups.google.com.
- ^ a b Coleman, Stephan (January 23, 2004). "Syberia II to Feature Music by Inon Zur". IGN. Archived from the original on December 31, 2005. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
- ^ a b c D., Spence (June 30, 2004). "Inon Zur Interview". IGN. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved December 18, 2009.
- ^ a b c Berardini, César (August 31, 2004). "Men of Valor Soundtrack Released". IGN. Archived from the original on December 11, 2004. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
- ^ a b Zur, Inon. "Inon Zur – Video Games". inonzur.com. Retrieved December 18, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e "Game Audio Network Guild – 3rd Annual Game Awards". Game Audio Network Guild. March 10, 2005. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
- ^ Zur, Inon. "Inon Zur – Composer – Biography". inonzur.com. Retrieved December 18, 2009.
- ^ a b c d "Interview with Lineage II: Chronicle V: Oath of Blood Composer Inon Zur". Music4Games. September 11, 2006. Archived from the original on August 22, 2008. Retrieved December 18, 2009.
- ^ "VGL to Premier Crysis in Leipzig!!". Video Games Live. August 10, 2008. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
- ^ "Dragon Age to be part of ANIF09 playlist". Eminence Symphony Orchestra. September 16, 2009. Retrieved December 18, 2009.
- ^ "A Night in Fantasia – Concert Program". Eminence Symphony Orchestra. Archived from the original on September 10, 2009. Retrieved December 18, 2009.
- ^ "Inon Zur Announced as Composer for The Elder Scrolls: Blades". vgr. November 4, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
- ^ "Listen to the London Symphony Orchestra play Starfield's score". venturebeat. November 29, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
- ^ "'The Game Awards 10-Year Concert' Team Teases 'Eclectic, Amazing' Hollywood Bowl Celebration". venturebeat. June 23, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
- ^ "Video Games: The top music talents". variety.com. April 21, 2009. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
- ^ "Inon Zur's beautiful "Leap of Faith" featured in new The Good Dinosaur Trailer". behindtheaudio.com. July 22, 2015. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
- ^ "Inon Zur's Music From Starfield, Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, Dragon Age And Syberia Live In Concert At The Soraya On November 20, 2022". top40.com. Retrieved June 27, 2023.
- ^ Burlingame, Jon (April 20, 2009). "Video Games: The Top Music Talents". Variety. Retrieved December 18, 2009.
- ^ Ladewiq, Bruce (October 11, 2002). "Inon Zur Interview". GameSpy. Archived from the original on March 15, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
- ^ "Q&A: Game composer Inon Zur". GameSpot. September 24, 2009. Archived from the original on January 23, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2009.
- ^ Blattberg, Eric (March 9, 2011). "The Best in the Business: Dragon Age II Composer Inon Zur". PlayStation Universe. Retrieved March 14, 2011.
- ^ a b Stiff, Kyle (October 21, 2009). "Interview: Dragon Age: Origins Inon Zur". Play. Archived from the original on December 8, 2009. Retrieved December 18, 2009.
- ^ Markovic, Danny (September 24, 2009). "Eminence: Inon Zur Interview". PALGN. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
- ^ "Ashfall's Roster of Composers Includes: Hans Zimmer, Fallout Composer Inon Zur, & Steve Mazzaro". The Global Herald. September 16, 2022. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
- ^ "Nazar Official Trailer". Microsoft. September 16, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
GBOMwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Zur, Inon. "Inon Zur – Video Games". inonzur.com. Archived from the original on January 25, 2011. Retrieved December 18, 2009.
- ^ "Past Winners and Nominees – Video Games – Awards – The BAFTA Site – 2008". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Archived from the original on January 31, 2010. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
- ^ "Spike TV Video Game Award Nominees for Best Original Score and Soundtrack 2008". November 13, 2008. Retrieved September 27, 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Golden Joystick Awards: ONM's Choices!". Official Nintendo Magazine. September 28, 2009. Archived from the original on May 25, 2024. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
- ^ a b Berardini, César (February 17, 2009). "7th Annual G.A.N.G. Awards Finalists Announced". IGN. Archived from the original on December 17, 2009. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
- ^ a b "Hollywood Music in Media Awards – 2009 Winners". Hollywood Music in Media. Archived from the original on December 1, 2009. Retrieved December 17, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Alexander, Leigh (February 17, 2010). "Assassin's Creed II, Uncharted 2 Lead G.A.N.G. Award Finalists". Gamasutra. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
- ^ a b "Game Audio Network Guild – 9th Annual Game Awards". Game Audio Network Guild. March 8, 2012. Archived from the original on December 21, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
External links
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| Artists | |
| Other | |
