Michael J. McEvoy

Films on MUBI

Michael is an American composer based in London. He grew up in a musical family studying piano and viola, and is a self-taught guitarist and bass player. In his teens, he studied at the Centre for Young Musicians and played viola in the London Schools Symphony Orchestra. After gaining entry to Leeds College of Music, Michael’s interest in improvisation led him back to London, where he worked as a pianist with saxophonist, Dick Heckstall-Smith’s band, Big Chief. At the same time, he began an apprenticeship at the London recording studio, Matrix, where he met and collaborated with African conga drummer, Reebop Kwaku Bah (Jimmy Cliff, Traffic, Can). He soon established himself as a sought after session musician and arranger working with many pop artists including Scritti Politti, Ian Dury, Soul II Soul, Curiosity Killed the Cat, Steve Winwood and Sting. Michael's first experience of writing film music was Beeban Kidron's 'Vroom' starring Clive Owen and David Thewlis, followed by 'The Bearskin - An Urban Fairytale' starring Tom Waits. His music also featured in a number of high profile documentaries including the Bafta award-winning 'J'accuse' (C4), 'Equinox: Fly Navy' (C4), 'Battle of the Hood and Bismarck' (C4/ITN) and 'Dog's World' (Discovery/Wall to Wall). Returning to the USA in 1998, Michael went on to compose music for documentaries on A&E (Biography), History Channel (Haunted History) and PBS. During this time he received three regional Emmy nominations and was awarded the Emmy in January 2004 for Best Instrumental Music for his work on the documentary, 'Tennessee Yearbook'. While in the USA, he studied composition with Professor Michael Alec Rose, and conducting with Lyn Bingham at Blair School of Music (Vanderbilt University). He moved back to London in 2001 to study Composition for Screen at the Royal College of Music where he was The Performing Rights Society’s Sir Arthur Bliss Memorial Scholar. In October 2005 he received his Masters in Music degree and was awarded the Joseph Horovitz Prize in Composition for Screen, the first time it had been awarded since 2001. From 2005-08, Michael was a Professor of Composition at the Royal College of Music, London in the role of Area Leader, Composition for Screen. Several prime-time documentaries followed including 'French Beauty' for the 'Storyville' series (BBC2) and 'E=mc2' (Nova: 'Einstein's Big Idea') a feature length docu-drama for Darlow/Smithson Productions and WGBH. In the last year, Michael has been increasingly in demand as a film composer, writing original music for Richard Linklater's 'Me and Orson Welles' starring Zac Efron and Claire Danes, due for release end of 2009. He also features in the movie in his first acting role as Orson Welles' band leader, Epstein. He has also been collaborating with the renowned DJ, Paul Oakenfold, as a co-composer and orchestrator on several feature film scores. In June 2007 they completed a score for the Japanese anime feature, 'Vexille', directed by Fumihiko Sori. Winner of Best Animated Feature at Philadelphia Film Festival 2008. More recent projects with Paul include orchestrations for Disney's 'G Force' movie and collaboration on the score for the US top 10 movie ‘Nothing Like the Holidays, starring Louis Guzman, John Leguizamo and Alfred Molina.

Rezz2009

5Nov09

British-based Composer Scores New Zac Efron Movie Soundtrack Michael McEvoy will be the envy of millions of teenage girls when they discover he worked side-by-side with Hollywood’s newest shining star, Zac Efron, in acclaimed director Richard Linklater’s upcoming release, Me and Orson Welles. McEvoy’s role on the production, which charts the trials and tribulations of the Mercury Theatre Group’s 1937 production of Julius Caesar, included not only composing the original music but also an acting role as Orson Welles’ Musical Director. Linklater, whose previous films included the critically acclaimed Before Sunset, took a meticulous approach to recreating the sights and sounds of 1930s New York, which for McEvoy, presented unusual challenges. In early 2008, while he was a professor at the Royal College of Music he got a call asking him to track down an original score by composer Marc Blitzstein commissioned by Orson Welles in 1937 for his production of Julius Caesar. All McEvoy had to work with then was a crackly demo from a 1938 radio broadcast and an ancient score found in a dusty library in Wisconsin. It was his reinterpretation of the score that landed him the job, and the opportunity to compose addition music needed for the film. The film was shot in the Isle of Man during 2008. McEvoy said, ‘It isn’t often that a composer gets the chance to be on the film set and see the entire film making process from start to finish. Usually we only come on board at the end of production’. McEvoy and three other musicians were the Mercury Theater musicians, on set for five weeks performing live for the camera. He commented: “Richard wanted the actors to really feel as if they were there with Orson back in 1937. It was a great privilege to work so closely with him as over the years I’ve enjoyed his movies so much and to be a part of this project was like a dream come true for me.” Me and Orson Welles is a gorgeous period piece brilliantly evoking a week in the life of Orson Welles' theatre company as they gear up to the first night of Julius Caesar in the Mercury Theater, New York. It has already received huge praise from Roger Ebert, one of the most respected film critics in the US, ahead of its release there in November. McEvoy’s music will be included on the soundtrack CD which feature original recordings from the 1930s era. The CD will be released on Sony.