Fred Onovwerosuoke [Fred O] Brings his Unique Musical Heritage to America and the World
When Robert De Niro called, Fred took the call. It was Fred Onovwerosuoke's St. Louis African Chorus that garnered the attention of director Robert De Niro, who was searching for a particular sound—an African Chant—for his film, “The Good Shepherd.” Meeting with Fred in New York, and listening to a selection of works written for the Chorus, the decision was made, and Fred's work was attached. The song: Ofrenda de Amor.
Born in Ghana to Nigerian parents, multiple award-winning composer Fred Onovwerosuoke, Ph.D, grew up in both countries before settling in the United States in 1990. Early childhood and education through college years, were spent in both Ghana and Nigeria.
Fred has the unique honor and recognition from ASCAP as the "Most Performed African Composer by an American Orchestra or Chamber Music Group" for 17 consecutive years. And, having scored other films and made appearances on Television, his influences are wide and varied. He is as much at home discussing Beethoven, Debussy and Stravinsky, as he is the works of foremost exponents of various traditional music.
On June 6, 2020, the poignant, African-American Hymn, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," was heard throughout America. The piece was arranged by Fred. It was written in 1905 by J. Rosamond Johnson (1873–1954), from a poem written in 1900 by his brother, James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938). Fred explains,
“ …in the wake of the current civil unrest, our message at the Intercultural Music Initiative was expressed through the artistic collaboration with some of the leading Black principals at America's major orchestras and music conservatories. The project was originally conceived by my friend, oboist Titus Underwood, for me to write a new piece based on a tune young, budding, Black musicians can recognize or relate. Well, in the midst of production, a string of senseless events happened, leading to the ongoing civic unrest. So, naturally, our focus had to incorporate a sliver of advocacy against oppression.
"For me, it was an absolute honor to write this arrangement to an illustrious African American Hymn (“Lift Every Voice”). ​ So my gratitude really is to Nashville's Symphony Orchestra's Titus Underwood (Principal Oboe) for inviting me to participate in this historic production that is called ‘Lift Every Voice: EVERY VOICE!’”
Michael Klubertanz Continues His Award-Winning, Creative Partnerships:
​
Best Music, Intl Sound & Film Music Fest
"Wuthering Heights"
​
"Max Topas - Das Buch Der KristallKinder"
[Max Topas - The Book of the Crystal Children]
Best Picture, Best Film Music Awards
San Diego International Kids Film Festival
​
Soundtrack Released for "Making Time"
Michael Klubertanz continues to collaborate with award-winning directors and producers. He recently scored Brian Ferriter's Wuthering Heights, and was presented with "The Horizon Award, Best Music" for the score at the International Sound and Film Music Festival in Croatia.
Another collaboration reunites him with director Michael W. Driesch. The premier of Max Topas was at Düsseldorf, Germany, where the film—and the score!—both received rave reviews from the cognoscenti. Their current creative partnership includes Michael's score to the mystery-thriller, Frieda - Coming Home.
The film is one of three Michael has been scoring over the past several months, including Fire of Darkness (M.J. Khappa, dir.), and the completed
Making Time (Grant Pichla, dir.). Clicking the poster at right, will allow you to learn how Michael elected to score the soundtrack to Making Time, which is now available through streaming services, including iTunes and Amazon.
And, yes, look out Gustav Holst, "Mars" is coming!
Ádám Balázs Scores "The Story of My Wife"
Palm d'Or Nominee at Cannes International Film Festival; and,
after two Films Nominated and one Win at the Academy Awards,
Ádám scores the latest international HBO Series, "RUXX"
Another potential Academy Award nominee on the horizon. Ádám scored Ildikó Enyedi's The Story of My Wife. The story is about a sea captain who makes a bet in a café with a friend, that he will marry the first woman who walks in.
Having scored the Academy Award-winning, Best Live Action Short Film, Sing! (Kristof Deak, dir.), and then returning the following year having scored the Academy Award Nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, On Body and Soul (Ildikó Enyedi, dir.), Ádám Balázs is also scoring the latest international HBO Series RUXX, in addition to even more motion pictures and Television.
Ádám was awarded Best Original Score: Television Category for Captives (Kristof Deak, dir.) at the Hungarian Film Week Presentation.
​
John Scott to Score Wartime Biopic
John Scott has been chosen to score this amazing, but true story about a Wigan (England) opera singer turned spy. Margery sang for Hitler, who filled her dressing room with dozens of roses, not realising that she had top secret messages concealed under her dress.
Margery was with Hitler on his birthday, when he was presented with the new Tiger Tank, and was able to get valuable information back to London, which eventually resulted in a Tiger Tank being captured in North Africa, and taken back to London under Churchill’s personal orders. Now totally trusted by the leading Nazis, she was even allowed to sing to British POWs at Stalag IIID, with whom she made many useful contacts, especially with another MI9 operative, John Brown. Margery eventually gave evidence against SS officers at the London Royal Courts of Justice (The Old Bailey) after the war.
Directed by Thierry Potok and based upon the book of the same name by Ralph Harvey, producer Franz von Habsburg-Toskana brings together a cast of noted acclaim, to include Anna Friel, Stephen Fry, Susan George, Bruce Montague, Patrick Bergin and Nicola Posner.
The film is currently in pre-production with an anticipated 2023 premiere.
Akos Lustyik Completes Acclaimed
ASCAP Film Scoring Workshop; Scores for Jaguar
A Scholar Graduate of the Master's Program at the Royal College of Music (RCM), London, award-winner of the Transatlantyk Film Music Competition (a part of the Lodz Transatlantyk International Film and Music Festival, Poland), AND a collaborator on the Academy Award winning film "Sing," Akos has been busy.
Akos Lustyik participated in the prestigious and acclaimed ASCAP Film Scoring Workshop with Emmy Award-winning composer Richard Bellis. One of 12 composers selected from a field of over 300. Akos' final work for the Workshop, was to rescore a scene from "A Cure for Wellness" (Gore Verbinski, dir., Benjamin Wallfisch, comp.). Click ASCAP logo at right to view recording session. Also at right, Akos' work with Jaguar and the Tata Group for a promotional video, utilizing student musicians of the RCM, premiering in New Delhi.
Akos is a classically trained composer from Budapest, Hungary. Completing his studies at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, he became a Scholar of the Royal College of Music. Akos also holds a master's in economics and management from Budapest University of Technology and Economics, and speaks Hungarian, English and German.
We congratulate Akos on these wonderful achievements.
Stephen Viens Scores "Arctic Plunge,"
"Kampai! Sake Sisters" and "Walk of Fame"
Stephen Viens scored director Brian To's Arctic Plunge, his seventh film with Brian. The film is an apology letter narrated by an older woman (Academy Award nominee Sally Kirkland) to a 16-year-old boy, who took his own life after she rejected him during an Arctic tour many years ago, when she was 25-years-old. Sorrow and regret haunt her as she reflects on the void left in her heart. Arctic Plunge uses symbolism and imagery to convey the disintegration and breakup of man’s relationship with wildlife and Earth, which may be lost forever. It is a tone poem that juxtaposes music, words, and images to make the audience feel saudade for whatever loss they need to resolve.
In a follow-up to Kampai! For the Love of Sake, Stephen scored the second in the series of feature documentaries, Kampai! Sake Sisters. The English- and Japanese-language film, under the direction of Mirai Konishi, explores the world of Sake, the national drink of Japan, and the women behind some of the world's finest sake to be produced. The film was produced by Konishi’s Los Angeles-based Wagamama Media, in collaboration with producer, Chiaki Yanagimoto.
Stephen also wrote the enchanting score for a love story between a Cinderella and a Transformer Super Hero, Walk of Fame (Erick Huff, dir.).
Noah Potter Co-Writes, Co-Produces and Scores Limited Series
"Treasured" with Rahul Nath; Executive Music Producer for "Pioneer's Palace B'92"
Setting yet another milestone, Noah Potter has not only scored, but also co-wrote and co-produced the limited series, Treasured. The five-part drama tells the story of newly wed bride, Vaidehi, who, after undergoing emotional, mental and ultimately physical abuse, takes a stand and sets out to take her revenge on those who destroyed her. Noah partnered with writer-director-producer Rahul Nath. A soundtrack release is underway.
And, encompassing all facets of music, Noah sets an historical tone for the period film, Pioneer's Palace. Set in Bucharest after the fall of dictator Ceausescu, it captures the chaotic essence of the time. Based on director Bobby Paunescu's own experience, the story follows a group of Romanian teenagers who, driven by their unprecedented freedoms of a free-market economy, open a disco in their high school. Surrounded by entrpreneurial opportunity and almosst no limits, the teens visit Bucharest's first-ever brothel, and are exposed to the dark underbelly of an unregulated society, when they re faced with potential exposure to AIDS. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
Tanis Chalopin, a Composer with the Unique Distinction of
Scoring Her First Film at 14-Years-of-Age
Tanis Chalopin is an exceptional composer and producer, gifted with a unique musical and visual sense. At 14-years-old, she was selected by Disney Asia, from among many young musicians, to compose the main score of their feature film, The Trail of the Panda. Since then, she never stopped composing and writing.
Tanis went on to attend Steinhardt College at New York University, where she studied music composition and film scoring. She graduated four years later, summa cum laude, and received the prestigious Elmer Bernstein Award for Film Scoring (previously awarded to graduate-level students only), the Richard Hirsch Memorial Award for Exceptional Achievement and the Founder’s Award.
SMC Artists welcomes Tanis to be among all our extremely talented composer clients.
"SMC Artists takes pride in representing prominent international film & Television composers, songwriters and lyricists, who are classically trained, and who have a significant and award-winning scoring and recording history. I request your consideration of all my fine artists and their qualifications, when preparing for your next production."— Otto Vavrin II, president