Stefan Swanson is an award-winning composer for film and concert. He has composed over twenty scores for films spanning all genres. He has also composed over fifty works for the concert hall ranging from solo sonatas to orchestral overtures. His concert music has been performed all over the United States (including Lincoln Center and Aspen), while his films have been shown all around the world.
On August 5th, the award-winning, dramatic feature GUN HILL ROAD starring Judy Reyes (Scrubs, Hawthorne) and Esai Morales (NYPD Blue, La Bamba) was released in theaters. This film, along with Swanson's score, enjoyed tremendous success at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Swanson's scores for the award-winning dramas PREMATURE and CUTS (both directed by Green), are currently broadcasting on both HBO and Cinemax.
His recently completed duo for cello and piano (PLAYING WITH FIRE) will premiere at the Nicolas Music Center in Spring of 2011. Currently Swanson is working on a piano duo to be premiered by acclaimed pianist Angy Estrada in 2011. He also recently finished up the score to award-winning director Reinaldo Green's drama THE FUTURE.
EDUCATION
Stefan is currently studying for his PhD in music composition at Rutgers University where he also teaches music theory. He earned his Masters degree at New York University's scoring for film and multimedia program where he studied composition with Ira Newborn (FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF, NAKED GUN, ACE VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE). He received his Bachelors degree from Rowan University in music composition where he studied composition with Dr. Harold Oliver.
In the spring of 2007 he received the Scholarship from the Film Music Museum in Los Angeles to attend the NYU/ASCAP Foundation Film Scoring Workshop in Memory of Buddy Baker. While there he received instruction from Mark Snow (THE X-FILES, SMALLVILLE), orchestrator Sonny Kompanek (THE GOOD SHEPHERD, HOLLYWOODLAND), and music editor Tim Starnes (LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy).
The following summer, Stefan attended the Aspen Summer Music Festival for a third time, where he received the Susan and Ford Schumann Scholarship. There he studied film scoring with Academy Award nominated composer Bruce Broughton (SILVERADO, TOMBSTONE) and Jeff Rona (HOMOCIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET, WHITE SQUALL).
OTHER
Stefan is also an experienced conductor (both concert and film), orchestrator, arranger, and producer. He conducted and co-orchestrated Ron Sadoff's score to the critcally acclaimed documentary CHUCK JONES: MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD (Gladeyes Films) which premiered on Turner Classic Movies. He also conducted the Manhattan Camerata at the Consulate General of Argentina in New York City (March 10, 2010). You can also hear his arrangement of the Ron Sadoff/Ira Newborn theme for NYU Doctor Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio.
For up to the minute information on Stefan Swanson, please follow his Facebook page.
