Jóhann Jóhannsson
Composer BORN SEPTEMBER 19, 1969 - DIED FEBRUARY 9, 2018, AGED 48
JÓHANN JÓHANNSSON, the Oscar-nominated composer for films The Theory Of Everything and Sicario, was found dead in his Berlin apartment. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed.
Seen as one of the most innovative composers of his generation, he often blended electronics with classical orchestration.
Jóhannsson received Oscar, Bafta and Grammy nominations for his 2014 score for The Theory Of Everything and won a Golden Globe for it. He received a second Oscar nomination for 2015’s Sicario and the following year he won Golden Globe, Bafta and Grammy nominations for his music for the film Arrival.
Born in Reykjavik, he grew up playing guitar in Icelandic indie-rock bands before founding a music label that encouraged collaboration between various musical genres, which sparked his own compositional experiments.
In 2002 he released his first solo album, Englabörn, and for the next 15 years combined his own work, including 2004’s IBM 1401, A User’s Manual, with compositions for films, TV and theatre.
His first widely heard score was for Denis Villeneuve’s Prisoners in 2013 and he continued to work with Villeneuve on Sicario and Arrival. Prior to his death, he also provided scores for the Nicolas Cage Sundance hit Mandy, James Marsh’s The Mercy and the upcoming Biblical drama Mary Magdalene.
Jóhannsson once stated that when it came to writing for films, he always liked to start with the most challenging scene. “This is quite often the case, at least for me,” he said. “When I work on films, I like to be involved from as early as possible. I think this is really beneficial in terms of absorbing the atmosphere of the film and for the music to become a part of the DNA of the film.”
He is survived by his parents, a daughter and three sisters.