“Mark is a man who really lives his craft. One of the most attractive features about Mark is that he knows how to keep the music subtle, but still support the drama. Mark does that so beautifully.”

Originally from New York City, Mark was exposed to all types of music through his parents who were musicians. The young Isham studied piano and violin, but the trumpet captured his imagination and became his signature instrument.  The Ishams moved from NYC to San Francisco, and by the age 15 Mark Isham was playing in jazz clubs, simultaneously performing with Oakland and San Francisco symphonies. He ultimately formed his own band Group 87.

Biography

Mark Isham is an electronic music innovator, jazz artist and prolific film composer.  Isham’s ability to create unforgettable melodies, combined with his willingness to experiment with innovative musical palettes, has earned him accolades including Grammy and Emmy awards, and Oscar and Golden Globe nominations.

Isham’s inimitable musical voice is evident in his memorable scores for award-winning features including the Oscar-winning Judas and the Black Messiah, Crash and A River Runs Through It (Oscar nomination) along with Golden Globe winning Bobby, and Nell (Golden Globe nomination). For The Black Dahlia, Isham was awarded “Best Score” by the International Film Music Critics Association.

He has collaborated with top directors and artists including Shaka King, Lynn Shelton, Swizz Beatz, Jodie Foster, George Tillman, Robert Redford, Forest Whitaker, Tom Cruise, Brian De Palma, Chick Corea, Robert Altman, Sting, Will.i.am, Sidney Lumet, and Mick Jagger.

Most Recently, as well as the aformentionaed Judas and the Black Messiah for Warner Bros, Isham has scored Victorian Sci-Fi drama series The Nevers for HBO, and his second season of EPIX series The Godfather of Harlem. Other recent projects include Bill and Ted Face the MusicTogo for Disney+, and Hulu’s limited series Little Fires Everywhere, for which he garnered his sixth Emmy nomination.

In 2020, Isham made Cannes Film Festival history as the first film composer to perform a live in-studio concert of some of his most beloved scores, for the inaugural film music summit of the Cannes Film Market, the business counterpart of the prestigious festival.

An accidental series of events...

It was an accidental series of events that brought Isham into the world of film music.  Already an established performer and recording artist, he began to experiment with electronic music. In 1983, Isham released his solo debut album Vapor Drawings. He circulated a demo intended for ECM Records, but fortuitously caught the attention of film director Carroll Ballard.  Ballard was searching for a new sound for a project and was impressed by Isham’s unique music and hired him to compose the score for Disney’s critically acclaimed film Never Cry Wolf.

While developing as a film composer, Mark Isham continued to prosper and gain notoriety for his work in electronic and new age. He won a Grammy for his Virgin Records release, Mark Isham and Grammy nominations for his albums Castalia and Tibet.  Although honored in the electronic and new age genres, Isham is perhaps most celebrated for his contributions to jazz. He has collaborated and performed with jazz legends including Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and Bobby McFerrin. Mark Isham’s jazz releases have received critical-acclaim:  Blue Sun was included in Downbeat’s “Top 100 Jazz Albums of the Decade;” and The London Times named Miles Remembered: The Silent Way Project “Best Jazz Album.″

isham playing trumpet

Mark Isham’s collective contributions to the film music community were recognized by his peers when he was awarded the prestigious Henry Mancini Career Achievement Award for musical excellence. He continues to display a boundless ability to electrify listeners with his talent for crafting evocative new musical works in varying genres and mediums.

Isham playing in Haiti

What directors say about Mark...

“Mark is a man who really lives his craft.  One of the most attractive features about Mark is that he knows how to keep the music subtle, but still support the drama. Mark does that so beautifully.” Robert Redford, who worked with Isham on four features (Quiz Show, A River Runs Through It, Lions for Lambs and The Conspirator)

“To hear the music was something I didn’t have the capacity for, it just made the show. Mark Isham created music that is extraordinary. There comes a moment when you have got to do it (music) in a way that it takes us to a place that we haven’t been– and Mark’s that guy.”

John Ridley, creator of American Crime, describes the experience of Mark’s music,

Mark’s score absolutely stands on its own and as a piece of music that plays as a symphony.” Brian Helgeland, Oscar winning director and writer of 42 stated, “

“Mark is a man who really lives his craft. One of the most attractive features about Mark is that he knows how to keep the music subtle, but still support the drama. Mark does that so beautifully.”