Michael Abels (born October 8, 1962) is an American composer best known for the opera Omar, co-written with Rhiannon Giddens, and his daring scores for the Jordan Peele films Get Out, Us and Nope. The hip-hop influenced score for Us was short-listed for the Oscars and was even named "Score of the Decade" by TheWrap. Other recent media projects include the films Bad Education, Nightbooks, Fake Famous, and the docu-series Allen v. Farrow. His most recent releases include Beauty which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and is now streaming on Netflix, Breaking (formerly 892) which premiered at Sundance, and his third collaboration with Jordan Peele, Nope.
Michael Abels | |
|---|---|
.Photo_by_Eric_Schwabel.jpg) Abels In November 2019 | |
| Born | October 8, 1962 Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | USC Los Angeles Thornton School Of Music |
| Occupation | Composer |
Abels' works also includes many concert works, such as At War With Ourselves for the Kronos Quartet,[1] Isolation Variation for Hilary Hahn, and the opera Omar co-composed with Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Rhiannon Giddens.[2][3] Some of these pieces are available on the Cedille Records, including Delights & Dances and Winged Creatures. Recent commissions include a work for the National Symphony Orchestra and a guitar concerto for Mak Grgić.[4]
Abels is co-founder of the Composers Diversity Collective, an advocacy group to increase visibility of composers of color in film, gaming and streaming media.[5]
In 2023, the opera Omar, co-written by Abels and Rhiannon Giddens, won the Pulitzer Prize for Music.[6]
Early life edit
Abels was born in Phoenix, Arizona. He spent his early years on a small farm in South Dakota, where he lived with his grandparents.[7] Introduced to music via the family piano, he began showing an innate curiosity towards music at age 4.[8] His music-loving grandparents convinced the local piano teacher to take him on as a student despite his age. At age 8, Abels began composing music, and by age 13, his first completed orchestral work was performed.[9]
Upon graduating from high school, Abels attended the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles. Abels, who is mixed race,[7] eventually studied West African drumming techniques at California Institute for the Arts, and sang in a predominantly black church choir to further explore his African-American roots.[10]
Filmography edit
Composer
- Get Out (2017)
- Us (2019)
- See You Yesterday (2019)
- All Day and a Night (2020)
- Bad Education (2020)
- Fake Famous (2021)
- Nightbooks (2021)
- Nope (2022)
- Breaking (2022)
- Landscape with Invisible Hand (2023)
- The Burial (2023)
- The American Society of Magical Negroes (2024)
- The Acolyte (2024)
Additional music
- Detroit (2017)
Other works edit
- Global Warming (1990) (commissioned by the Phoenix Youth Symphony)
- I'm Determined (1991) for orchestra
- How Majestic (1992) for orchestra
- American Variations on Swing Low Sweet Chariot (1993) (premiered by Doc Severinsen and the Phoenix Symphony)
- Frederick's Fables (1994, 1996) four pieces for orchestra, based on selected stories of Leo Lionni
- Dance for Martin's Dream (1998) for orchestra (commissioned by the Houston Symphony and the Nashville Symphony)
- You're a Grand Old Flag (1995) for orchestra
- More Seasons (1999)
- Limitless (2000) for choir, or soloist with choral accompaniment, and piano
- Homies & Popz (2001) opera
- Tribute (2001) for orchestra
- Affectionate Objects (2004) for orchestra
- Outburst (2005) for orchestra
- Delights & Dances (2007) for string quartet and orchestra[11]
- Urban Legends (2008) for string quartet and orchestra (commissioned by the Sphinx Organization)
- Aquadia (2009) for orchestra (co-commissioned by the Chicago Sinfonietta and the Shedd Aquarium)
- Be the Change (2015) for choir, or soloist with choral accompaniment, and piano
- The Open Hand
- Victory Road (2017) for orchestra
- Iconoclasm (2017) for piano
- Liquify (2017) for orchestra
- Twilight Drive for piano
- Winged Creatures (2018) for flute, clarinet and orchestra (commissioned by Cedille Records[12]) written for Anthony and Demarre McGill
- Pensivity for piano
- Life in a Day
- Struck by Enlightenment
- Falling Sky (for concert band) (2019)
- Falling Sky, ballet (2020)
- Anguish (from Falling Sky) (2020) for piano
- Gift of the Machine (2020)
- Isolation Variation (2020) for unaccompanied violin (for Hillary Hahn)
- At War with Ourselves, oratorio - libretto by Nikky Finney, commissioned for the Kronos Quartet
- Omar, an original opera on the life of Omar ibn Said co-composed by Rhiannon Giddens[13]
- Get Out, in concert (2020)
- Emerge (2021) for orchestra (co-commission from Detroit Symphony Orchestra)
- Guitar Concerto "Borders" (2022) Commissioned by ROCO & Quad City Symphony, written for Mak Grgić
Awards and nominations edit
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Fright Meter Awards | Best Score | Get Out | Nominated |
| World Soundtrack Awards | Discovery of the Year | Nominated | ||
| International Online Cinema Awards | Best Original Score | Won | ||
| 2018 | International Film Music Critics Awards | Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film | Nominated | |
| Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Score | Won | ||
| 2019 | Washington DC Area Film Critics Association Award | Best Original Score | Us | Won |
| World Soundtrack Awards | Discovery of the Year | Won | ||
| Indiana Film Journalists Association | Best Musical Score | Won | ||
| Greater Western New York Film Critics Association Awards | Best Score | Nominated | ||
| Chicago Film Critics Association Award | Best Original Score | Nominated | ||
| Phoenix Critics Circle | Best Score | Nominated | ||
| Seattle Film Critics Society Awards | Best Original Score | Nominated | ||
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | Best Original Score- Horror Film | Won | ||
| Fright Meter Awards | Best Score | Won | ||
| 2020 | 51st NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album | Nominated | |
| Critics Choice Awards | Best Score | Nominated | ||
| Black Reel Award | Outstanding Score | Won | ||
| Latino Entertainment Journalists Association Film Award | Best Music | Nominated | ||
| Music City Film Critics' Association Award | Best Score | Nominated | ||
| North Carolina Film Critics Association | Best Music | Nominated | ||
| Online Film & Television Association, OFTA Film Award | Best Music, Original Score | Nominated | ||
| Society of Composers and Lyricists Awards | Outstanding Original Score for a Studio Film | Nominated | ||
| Austin Film Critics Association Awards | Best Score | Nominated | ||
| International Film Music Critics Award | Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film | Nominated | ||
| Central Ohio Film Critics Association | Best Score | Won | ||
| Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle Award | Best Original Score | Won | ||
| Georgia Film Critics Association | Original Score | Nominated | ||
| Gold Derby Awards | Original Score | Nominated | ||
| Hawaii Film Critics Society | Best Original Score | Nominated | ||
| Hollywood Critics Association | Best Score | Nominated | ||
| Houston Film Critics Society Awards | Best Original Score | Nominated | ||
| Online Film Critics Society Awards | Best Original Score | Won | ||
| 2023 | Pulitzer Prize | Music | Omar | Won |
References edit
- ^ "At War With Ourselves - 400 Years of You". University of South Carolina. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ Cooper, Michael (June 10, 2019). "Rhiannon Giddens is Writing An Opera". The New York Times. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
- ^ "Omar, A World Premiere Opera in 2022". Spoleto Festival USA. 2021. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
- ^ Grgic, Mak. "GUITAR CONCERTO BY MICHAEL ABELS WITH ROCO ORCHESTRA". MakGrgic.com. Schmidt Artists International, Inc.
- ^ "Composer for 'Get Out' and 'Us' Talks Diversity, Inclusiveness in Music". NBCUniversal Media. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ "2023 Pulitzer Prizes". Pulitzer.org. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
- ^ a b "Michael Abels, Composer Of Jordan Peele's Us, Balances Terror With Empathy". NPR. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
- ^ De Lerma, Dominique-Rene. "African Heritage Symphonic Series Vol. III". Liner note essay. Cedille Records CDR066.
- ^ "Michael Abels: Biography". Kennedy Center. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
- ^ Davis, Andrew (June 24, 2009). "Michael Abels: A composer makes 'Waves'". Windy City Times. Windy City Media Group. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
- ^ "Delights and Dances | Classical Music".
- ^ "Winged Creatures | Classical Music".
- ^ Cooper, Michael (June 11, 2019). "Rhiannon Giddens Is Writing an Opera". The New York Times. p. C3. Retrieved July 7, 2022.