Ceiri Torjussen
Encyclopedia
Ceiri Torjussen is a composer who has contributed music to dozens of film and television productions in the U.S.
His music was described by the Los Angeles Times
as a “sudden bolt of creative lightning”, and he was hailed in a UK newspaper as one of the brightest British musical talents in recent history. Similarly, in the last few years, he has made a sudden but marked impact on the world of film music in Los Angeles, with an enviable list of high-profile credits to his name.
Torjussen was born in Cardiff
, Wales
in 1976 and is a fluent Welsh
speaker. Showing a passion for music from an early age, he started playing the trumpet and piano at the age of eight, and began composing soon after. Although formally trained in classical music, he played in and arranged for various soul, jazz, funk and disco bands and began scoring TV documentaries whilst still in high school. In addition to the main canon of western music from the Middle Ages to the present, his musical interests have included a special love for jazz, electronic music, and for certain non-western music, especially Indonesian Gamelan
and Indian classical music, the result of seven months teaching and traveling the Indian subcontinent in 1995. Following his travels, he gained his Bachelors degree in Composition at the University of York
, UK, with a First Class Honours and his Masters at the University of Southern California
, Los Angeles
.
Ceiri Torjussen has scored six feature films to date. In 2006 Undoing
, a noir-thriller, premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival
, and Mentor
, starring Rutger Hauer, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival
. Most recently he composed additional, heart-thumping action music for the 2007 blockbuster, Live Free or Die Hard
, starring Bruce Willis
. His music demonstrates an expansive creative range and versatility, being at home in all genres, including horror (Dracula III: Legacy, Soul’s Midnight, and additional music for Underworld: Evolution
) and comedy (Funky Monkey and additional music for Scary Movie II). No stranger to television, he provided additional music for the WB TV show Glory Days, the CBS network shows Cold Case and Close to Home, and for the series Dead Like Me
, on Showtime. Torjussen has also worked extensively in animation, composing music for high-profile animated shows such as Ni Hao Kailan (Nickelodeon), and for Mike Young Productions’ Max and the Mechanicals, The Mr. Men and Dive Olly Dive for which he received a 2007 Daytime Emmy Nomination for Best Original Score.
Torjussen has also orchestrated and conducted on numerous studio feature films such as The Day After Tomorrow
, I, Robot
, Hellboy
, Cheaper by the Dozen
, Joyride
, Blade II
, When a Stranger Calls
, Dracula 2000
and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
. He is equally at home with the orchestra as he is with electronic music. His Wenallt Studios is fully equipped with 96-bit digital recording capabilities, state-of-the-art sound synthesis software, and an additional room dedicated to tracking live ensembles and vocals.
Torjussen has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, in addition to scholarships from the British Arts Council, S4C
, and the Welsh American Foundation. He won the Composers Medal at the Urdd National Eisteddfod three times, and received the Daily Telegraph Jazz Arrangers Award, as well as many other prizes for his composition and jazz playing. In 1999 he was honored with one of the highest musical achievements in Britain by winning the Composers’ Medal at the Welsh National Eisteddfod. In 2000 he was made a ‘White Druid
of the Island of Britain’ for his services to Welsh music, and was the subject of a TV documentary. His orchestral work, Momentum, has been performed widely, notably by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales
, and been conducted by such figures as Esa-Pekka Salonen
and Grant Llewelyn. Torjussen has had numerous concert commissions from a variety of ensembles, some of which have been recorded and broadcast on Radio and TV in Europe and the US. His work has been recorded and released commercially and performed worldwide, including the US, UK, Germany, France and India. Recent other commissions include a work for four percussionists, based on Afro-Cuban rhythms, a work for 50-voice choir, and an upcoming new work for Player Piano
to be released on CD in 2008. He resides in Los Angeles.
His music was described by the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
as a “sudden bolt of creative lightning”, and he was hailed in a UK newspaper as one of the brightest British musical talents in recent history. Similarly, in the last few years, he has made a sudden but marked impact on the world of film music in Los Angeles, with an enviable list of high-profile credits to his name.
Torjussen was born in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
in 1976 and is a fluent Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
speaker. Showing a passion for music from an early age, he started playing the trumpet and piano at the age of eight, and began composing soon after. Although formally trained in classical music, he played in and arranged for various soul, jazz, funk and disco bands and began scoring TV documentaries whilst still in high school. In addition to the main canon of western music from the Middle Ages to the present, his musical interests have included a special love for jazz, electronic music, and for certain non-western music, especially Indonesian Gamelan
Gamelan
A gamelan is a musical ensemble from Indonesia, typically from the islands of Bali or Java, featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings. Vocalists may also be included....
and Indian classical music, the result of seven months teaching and traveling the Indian subcontinent in 1995. Following his travels, he gained his Bachelors degree in Composition at the University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
, UK, with a First Class Honours and his Masters at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Ceiri Torjussen has scored six feature films to date. In 2006 Undoing
Undoing (film)
Undoing is a 2006 neo-noir drama directed by Chris Chan Lee. The movie is set in the streets of Los Angeles' Koreatown and follows the story of Samuel Kim who returns after a mysterious one-year absence to find redemption from his past...
, a noir-thriller, premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival
Los Angeles Film Festival
The Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times is an event held annually in June in downtown Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles Film Festival began as the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival in 1995. The first LAIFF took place over the course of five days in a single...
, and Mentor
Mentor (film)
Mentor is a 2006 drama film directed by David Langlitz and written by William Whitehurst, exploring the relationship between a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and his protegé.The film stars Rutger Hauer, Matthew Davis, Dagmara Dominczyk, and Susan Misner....
, starring Rutger Hauer, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
. Most recently he composed additional, heart-thumping action music for the 2007 blockbuster, Live Free or Die Hard
Live Free or Die Hard
Live Free or Die Hard , is a 2007 American action film, and the fourth installment in the Die Hard series. The film was directed by Len Wiseman and stars Bruce Willis as John McClane. The name was adapted from the state motto of New Hampshire, "Live Free or Die"...
, starring Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
. His music demonstrates an expansive creative range and versatility, being at home in all genres, including horror (Dracula III: Legacy, Soul’s Midnight, and additional music for Underworld: Evolution
Underworld: Evolution
Underworld: Evolution is the second installment in the Underworld series, following Underworld in 2003...
) and comedy (Funky Monkey and additional music for Scary Movie II). No stranger to television, he provided additional music for the WB TV show Glory Days, the CBS network shows Cold Case and Close to Home, and for the series Dead Like Me
Dead Like Me
Dead Like Me was an American-Canadian comedy-drama television series starring Ellen Muth and Mandy Patinkin as grim reapers who reside and work in Seattle, Washington. Filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, the show was created by Bryan Fuller for the Showtime network, where it ran for two seasons...
, on Showtime. Torjussen has also worked extensively in animation, composing music for high-profile animated shows such as Ni Hao Kailan (Nickelodeon), and for Mike Young Productions’ Max and the Mechanicals, The Mr. Men and Dive Olly Dive for which he received a 2007 Daytime Emmy Nomination for Best Original Score.
Torjussen has also orchestrated and conducted on numerous studio feature films such as The Day After Tomorrow
The Day After Tomorrow
The Day After Tomorrow is a 2004 American science-fiction disaster film that depicts the catastrophic effects of global warming in a series of extreme weather events that usher in global cooling which leads to a new ice age. The film did well at the box office, grossing $542,771,772 internationally...
, I, Robot
I, Robot (film)
I, Robot is a 2004 science-fiction action film directed by Alex Proyas. The screenplay was written by Jeff Vintar, Akiva Goldsman and Hillary Seitz, and is very loosely based on Isaac Asimov's short-story collection of the same name. Will Smith stars in the lead role of the film as Detective Del...
, Hellboy
Hellboy (film)
Hellboy is a 2004 supernatural superhero film, starring Ron Perlman, John Hurt and Selma Blair, directed by Guillermo del Toro. The film is based on the Dark Horse Comics work Hellboy: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola. It was produced by Revolution Studios, and distributed by Columbia Pictures...
, Cheaper by the Dozen
Cheaper by the Dozen (2003 film)
Cheaper by the Dozen is a 2003 American comedy film about a family with 12 children . The film takes its title from the 1948 biography of the same name of Frank Bunker Gilbreth and Lillian Moller Gilbreth and their 12 children, but other than the title and the concept of a family with 12 children,...
, Joyride
Joyride
Joy Ride may refer to:* Joyride , a crime involving stealing vehicles- Music :* Joyride , 1965* Joyride , 1986* Joyride , 1991...
, Blade II
Blade II
Blade II is a 2002 superhero vampire film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Blade. It is the sequel of the Blade film series. It was written by David S. Goyer, who also wrote the previous film...
, When a Stranger Calls
When a Stranger Calls
When a Stranger Calls may refer to:* When a Stranger Calls , a horror film** When a Stranger Calls Back, the sequel of the 1979 film* When a Stranger Calls , a remake of the 1979 film...
, Dracula 2000
Dracula 2000
Dracula 2000, also known internationally as Dracula 2001, is a 2000 horror film written and directed by Patrick Lussier. The film stars Gerard Butler, Christopher Plummer, Jonny Lee Miller, Justine Waddell, Omar Epps, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Jeri Ryan, and Jennifer Esposito.Dracula 2000, the...
and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, commonly abbreviated as T3, is a 2003 science fiction action film directed by Jonathan Mostow and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nick Stahl, Claire Danes and Kristanna Loken...
. He is equally at home with the orchestra as he is with electronic music. His Wenallt Studios is fully equipped with 96-bit digital recording capabilities, state-of-the-art sound synthesis software, and an additional room dedicated to tracking live ensembles and vocals.
Torjussen has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, in addition to scholarships from the British Arts Council, S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
, and the Welsh American Foundation. He won the Composers Medal at the Urdd National Eisteddfod three times, and received the Daily Telegraph Jazz Arrangers Award, as well as many other prizes for his composition and jazz playing. In 1999 he was honored with one of the highest musical achievements in Britain by winning the Composers’ Medal at the Welsh National Eisteddfod. In 2000 he was made a ‘White Druid
Druid
A druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....
of the Island of Britain’ for his services to Welsh music, and was the subject of a TV documentary. His orchestral work, Momentum, has been performed widely, notably by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales
BBC National Orchestra of Wales
The BBC National Orchestra of Wales is a Welsh symphony orchestra and one of the BBC's five professional orchestras. The BBC NOW is the only professional symphony orchestra organisation in Wales, occupying a dual role as both a broadcasting orchestra and national orchestra.The BBC NOW has its...
, and been conducted by such figures as Esa-Pekka Salonen
Esa-Pekka Salonen
Esa-Pekka Salonen is a Finnish orchestral conductor and composer. He is currently Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Philharmonia Orchestra in London and Conductor Laureate of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.-Early career:...
and Grant Llewelyn. Torjussen has had numerous concert commissions from a variety of ensembles, some of which have been recorded and broadcast on Radio and TV in Europe and the US. His work has been recorded and released commercially and performed worldwide, including the US, UK, Germany, France and India. Recent other commissions include a work for four percussionists, based on Afro-Cuban rhythms, a work for 50-voice choir, and an upcoming new work for Player Piano
Player Piano
Player Piano, author Kurt Vonnegut's first novel, was published in 1952. It is a dystopia of automation and capitalism, describing the dereliction they cause in the quality of life. The...
to be released on CD in 2008. He resides in Los Angeles.