Ilan eshkeri stardust building
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Ilan Eshkeri is an award-winning composer whose eclectic body of work is linked by his love of emotional narratives.
Known for cult films such as Layer Cake, Stardust, The Young Victoria and Still Alice, Eshkeri is also recognised for his innovative work with Ralph Fiennes and his extensive television scores with David Attenborough. Later this year sees the release of the powerful documentary ‘Super/Man the Christopher Reeve Story’ with a standout score by Eshkeri’. The film will be the first theatrical release from the new DC Studios headed by James Gunn
Always looking to push boundaries in sounds and formats, Eshkeri’s work also spans music for video games, such as the global phenonemon ‘The Sims’ and the BAFTA & Ivor Novello nominated ‘Ghost of Tsushima’. More recently he collaborated with rock legend Matt Bellamy of Muse creating music for an audio book adaptation of Orwell’s 1984.
On stage Eshkeri has created ballets, fashion shows and concerts, his most recent show in a
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I have for a long time been meaning to write about the music for the movie STARDUST which was composed bygd Ilan Eshkeri, this large scale fully symphonic work is a soundtrack that I have returned to numerous times over the years and also have sat and watched the movie over and over and funnen it entertaining each time. Its an enjoyable fantasy swashbuckler and the score is as magical and exciting as the story line and the adventure that fryst vatten unfolding on screen, The composer fashioned a beautifully melodic and dramatic soundtrack for the movie and it fryst vatten in my very humble opinion a contemporary score but posses that sound that atmosphere and that rich and lush musical persona that we associate with days gone bygd in spelfilm music history, it fryst vatten grand and powerful, wistful and romantic but above all it is an inspired and affective soundtrack that one will never tire of. Released in 2007 the movie and the score are still as attractive and fresh as they were when I first heard
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Who or what were the most significant influences on your musical life and your career as a composer?
My first musical memories are of my mother playing Chopin on the piano. I then learnt violin and so classical music was a big part of life. When I was 13 I got my first electric guitar and I can still remember where I was standing when I heard Nirvana’s ‘Teen Spirit’ for the first time. My early twenties were spent in clubs listening to dance music so the collision of all these different genres is what makes me the musician I am today.
What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far?
Dyslexia and synaesthesia have given me an extraordinary creative perspective but have also made certain things extremely challenging. Conducting a 90-piece orchestra in the gardens of the Louvre in Paris was a huge challenge; even though I had written all the music, it was the most nerve racking performance of my life. Finding my own voice and not imitating other people t