Michael Abels

Michael Abels (born October 8, 1962) is an American composer and producer best known for his scores for the Oscar-winning film Get Out, and Us. As a concert composer, Abels has received grants from the United States National Endowment for the Arts, Meet The Composer, and the Sphinx Organization, among others. His orchestral works have been performed by the Chicago Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and others. As guest conductor of Get Out In Concert, Abels has led orchestras including the National Symphony and the San Francisco Symphony. Several of his orchestral works have been recorded by the Chicago Sinfonietta and released on Cedille Records, including Delights & Dances and Global Warming. Abels is co-founder of the Composers Diversity Collective, an advocacy group to increase visibility of composers of color in film, game and streaming media.

Early life

Abels was born in Phoenix, Arizona. He spent his early years on a small farm in South Dakota, where he lived with his grandparents. Introduced to music via the family piano, he began showing an innate curiosity towards music at age 4.[1] 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.[2]

Upon graduating from high school, Abels attended the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music in Los Angeles. Abels, who is mixed race, 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.

Filmography

Composer

Additional music

Other works

Awards and nominations

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 (MCFCA) Best Score Nominated
North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA) 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

References

  1. De Lerma, Dominique-Rene. "African Heritage Symphonic Series Vol. III". Liner note essay. Cedille Records CDR066.
  2. "Michael Abels: Biography". Kennedy Center. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
  3. Cooper, Michael (June 10, 2019). "Rhiannon Giddens Is Writing an Opera". The New York Times. Retrieved 2021-11-25.
  4. "Omar, A World Premiere Opera in 2022". Spoleto Festival USA. 2021. Retrieved 2021-11-25.
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