- Mychael Danna is an Oscar and and Emmy Award-winning film composer recognized for
his evocative blending of non-western traditions with orchestral and
electronic music. His highly awarded works include the Oscar-winning
score for Ang Lee's
Life of Pi (2012), and his many Genie
Award-winning scores for director and longtime collaborator,
Atom Egoyan.
His passion for presenting complex ideas in a musically accessible way
began as Danna learned his craft at the University of Toronto. There,
he was exposed to early- and world-music that later influenced his
style. Danna earned the school's inaugural "Glenn Gould Composition
Award" in 1985 and also began scoring for student theatre groups, as he
launched his artistic partnership with Egoyan. Danna has scored all of
Egoyan's films since 1987's
Family Viewing (1987).
Danna's work on Egoyan's films,
Ararat (2002),
Felicia's Journey (1999),
The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
and Exotica (1994), secured him Genie
awards from the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television; as did his
score for Deepa Mehta's Oscar-winning film,
Water (2005).
Danna earned the 2013 Golden Globe and 2013 Oscar for scoring
Ang Lee's
Life of Pi (2012), following his
collaborations with Lee on
The Ice Storm (1997) and
Ride with the Devil (1999).
Life of Pi (2012)'s rich soundscape
reflects a deeply transnational story with inventive cross-cultural
arrangements: Indian sitars play French melodies, European play South
Asian motifs, a church choir sings in Sanskrit, and a variety of other
musical combinations soar alongside a full studio orchestra.
The highly awarded work embodies Danna's approach to
composition-creating rich soundscapes to be appreciated by a wide
audience.
Other celebrated collaborations include those with
Bennett Miller on his multiple
Oscar-nominee Moneyball (2011) and his
Oscar-winning drama, Capote (2005); with
Terry Gilliam on his Oscar-nominated
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
and Tideland (2005); with
Mira Nair on
Vanity Fair (2004),
Monsoon Wedding (2001) and
Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1996);
and with Billy Ray on
Breach (2007) and
Shattered Glass (2003).
Danna's credits also include the Oscar-winning
Little Miss Sunshine (2006),
for which he shared a Grammy Award nomination for Best Compilation
Soundtrack Album; Marc Webb's
acclaimed romantic comedy,
500 Days of Summer (2009);
and James Mangold's Oscar-winning film,
Girl, Interrupted (1999).- IMDb Mini Biography By: Mychael Danna
- SpouseAparna(? - present) (2 children)
- RelativesJeff Danna(Sibling)
- Frequently collaborates with brother Jeff Danna.
- Often works on indie or arthouse films by such directors as Terry Gilliam, Troy Duffy and Marc Webb.
- Use of orchestral and electronic minimalism in his soundtracks.
- Constantly works with Canadian director Atom Egoyan.
- Winner of the Glenn Gould Composition Scholarship in 1985.
- Starting in 1987, Danna served as composer-in-residence at the McLaughlin Planetarium in Toronto for five years.
- Older brother of Jeff Danna.
- Starting with Family Viewing (1987), Danna has served as the composer for every theatrically released film that Atom Egoyan has since directed.
- Mychael Danna & Jeff Beal won a 2005 Broadcast Music, Inc Award in the BMI TV Music Award category for their work on Medium (2005) .
- [on film awards] The non-stop parties for two months are fun, and the big silver pieces of metal are fun, but it's not about me. It's about the story and the music and the director's vision of where the music needs to live.
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