Women Composers

[Meta Like That]

Inspired by the music threads popping up in Game Disc, a thought hit me. I usually like to put a name behind great music I hear in whatever I'm watching/playing; that way I'm able to follow their work and recognize it, appreciate it when I hear it again. But pretty much everyone I listen to are men, which leads me to pose a question to you, Escapist peoples:

Who are some notable, if not your favorite, FEMALE gaming, film, or television composers? And what is their style (if you can say they have one)? No bands, no Jpop singers, just the person and their creative scores. Provide links to their websites or discography if you can.

I'd also like to edit this and list them here for future reference.

The first and only one I can think of off the top of my head really is Yoko Kanno [http://www.jameswong.com/ykproject/core.html], of course.

 

[Skalman]

I'd say Yoko Kanno, but you already did...

Can't really think of anyone else.

 

[willard3]

You're kind of excluding quite a few by limiting it to gaming, film, and TV composers.

How about Clara Schumann? (classical, btw.) She wrote an entire piano concerto when she was 14, married one of the first true Romantic composers (Robert Schumann), and persuaded him to write "bigger", eventually resulting in his famous symphonies and piano concerto.

Personally, I like her piano concerto the best...it's one of my favorite pieces ever.

 

[Alleged_Alec]

Yoko Kanno, even though it has been said already. It's also the only one I know though...

 

[Meta Like That]

You're kind of excluding quite a few by limiting it to gaming, film, and TV composers.

Well that's what I'm getting at. I know I could find quite a few in the classical field without trying, but really, I'm concerned with cinematic scores. I thought the thread title would be a little misleading... And I probably should just change it to women composers in general, since ones in the fields I'm looking at are apparently so damn elusive. I mean, I'd probably find more from Japan, but America?

Can anybody name one? She doesn't even have to be good at it...

 

[willard3]

You're kind of excluding quite a few by limiting it to gaming, film, and TV composers.

Well that's what I'm getting at. I know I could find quite a few in the classical field without trying, but really, I'm concerned with cinematic scores. I thought the thread title would be a little misleading... And I probably should just change it to women composers in general, since ones in the fields I'm looking at are apparently so damn elusive. I mean, I'd probably find more from Japan, but America?

Can anybody name one? She doesn't even have to be good at it...

After exercising my Google-fu, turns out that there really aren't many female composers of film scores.

HOWEVER, Yoko Shimomura composed the scores for the entire Kingdom Hearts series.

Wendy Carlos wrote the score for A Clockwork Orange (originally credited as Walter Carlos).

Lisa Gerrard has collaborated with Hans Zimmer and Graeme Revell on several movies, including Gladiator and Tears of the Sun.

Jocelyn Pook wrote the score for Eyes Wide Shut, and was nominated for a Golden Globe because of it.

Rachel Portman seems to be one of the most prolific, doing scores for Hart's War, Mona Lisa Smile, The Manchurian Candidate, and The Duchess. She's also the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Original Score (Emma).

And Vivian Kubrick (daughter of Stanley) wrote the score for Full Metal Jacket. (Stanley Kubrick seemed to like female composers, didn't he?)

 

[Meta Like That]

After exercising my Google-fu, turns out that there really aren't many female composers of film scores.

HOWEVER, Yoko Shimomura composed the scores for the entire Kingdom Hearts series.

Wendy Carlos wrote the score for A Clockwork Orange (originally credited as Walter Carlos).

Lisa Gerrard has collaborated with Hans Zimmer and Graeme Revell on several movies, including Gladiator and Tears of the Sun.

Jocelyn Pook wrote the score for Eyes Wide Shut, and was nominated for a Golden Globe because of it.

Rachel Portman seems to be one of the most prolific, doing scores for Hart's War, Mona Lisa Smile, The Manchurian Candidate, and The Duchess. She's also the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Original Score (Emma).

And Vivian Kubrick (daughter of Stanley) wrote the score for Full Metal Jacket. (Stanley Kubrick seemed to like female composers, didn't he?)

I was aware of Shimomura and Portman. Manchurian Candidate is one of my favorites. I'll check out the others though. Thanks for replying.

Not totally sure why, but this kinda makes me a sad panda. Although, I can't say I'm surprised. If there were a lot more examples, I probably would've heard of them...