Deborah Lurie

A strikingly versatile and critically acclaimed rising voice on the Hollywood music scene, composer Deborah Lurie has quickly become known for strongly thematic and memorable scores that impart unique character to a wide array of styles--from symphonic music to hard rock. Raised in Palo Alto, Calif., Lurie enjoyed a childhood immersed in the arts--from modern dance and theater to composition and classical/jazz piano--that eventually led to innovative projects like an original score to her high school’s production of "A Midsummer Night’s Dream." Music has always been a visual experience for Lurie. She was born with perfect pitch as well as a rare condition called synesthesia, which allows her to identify every note by seeing a specific, corresponding color in her mind’s eye--and won her a childhood nickname as Palo Alto’s "human pitchpipe." She became fully aware of these talents in the tenth grade while excelling at music theory—a newly "academic" subject she had largely taught herself with colors since she had heard her first scale. It was immediately evident that Lurie wouldn’t just continue to pursue music out of passion, but make a career in sound, too. Towards that end, Lurie studied composition at USC, graduating with the music composition departmental award in 1997 and soon winning attention for scores to short films like the celebrated "George Lucas in Love." In the years following, Lurie worked as an orchestrator on studio films like "The X-Files" and "X-Men 2," and as a composer, for additional music on "Bubble Boy" and "View From The Top." Reuniting with "Lucas in Love" director Joe Nussbaum in 2004, she scored the pre-teen comedy "Sleepover" for MGM. Most recently, Lurie scored Nussbaum's newest film, "Sydney White" produced by Morgan Creek and provided additional score for the blockbuster "Spiderman 3." Lurie has collaborated with a number of internationally known composers: She's worked frequently with Danny Elfman, composing additional music for the IMAX film "Deep Sea: 3D" and arranging/orchestrating for "Charlotte's Web" and "Charlie And The Chocolate Factory." For the 2004 Sony Classics film "Imaginary Heroes," starring Sigourney Weaver, she wrote a passionate score on a theme by John Ottman. And after years working on Miramax films, such as the Quentin Tarantino executive-produced "My Name Is Modesty" and "My Baby’s Daddy," Lurie scored the 2005 Lasse Hallstrom film "An Unfinished Life," starring Robert Redford and Morgan Freeman. In addition to work on film scores, Lurie has an extensive background as an arranger and producer of pop, rock, and theater music. Her string arrangements can be heard on Daughtry's chart-topping self-titled rock album, The All-American Rejects' "Move Along," and on works from hard rockers Papa Roach and Three Days Grace. Beginning with the #1 hit single The Reason, Lurie has collaborated on two songs with Hoobastank, as well as an orchestral live concert and DVD in Paris. Lurie's longest and most prolific collaboration in rock music is with producer Howard Benson, who was Grammy nominated in 2007 for Producer Of The Year. Lurie's work in pop music began with productions for the live stage, including arranging and producing the the music for The Pussycat Dolls' live appearance at The Roxy, starring Christina Aguilera and Gwen Stefani and Carmen Electra, and arranging/producing the music for the Off Broadway musical "Bare." Lurie’s music also appears in the Dreamworks film "Dreamgirls." Lurie has always treated every genre with equal amounts reverence and passion from highly academic orchestral concert music to rock and Off-Broadway theater. Her musical curiosity and deep willingness to take risks has led to an impressive, eclectic portfolio as well as genuine respect from a wide variety of audiences. Facile with current music industry technology but also passionate about acoustic performance, Lurie has always used live orchestras--even in her low-budget short-film days. The people who make music mean everything to Lurie--she’s had great relationships with industry instrumentalists since her USC days—and with every score she continues to nurture her love for live sounds. Education * Bachelor of Music in Composition from USC * USC Film Scoring program * Aspen Music Festival, composition studies Awards * USC School of Music, 1996 Composition Department award * Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle award, musical direction, best music, bare * LA Weekly Theater Awards, best musical (arranging/producing) * Garland Award (LA Theater) Best Musical Score, bare (hudson mainstage theater) Robbie Awards, Best Musical Production, bare Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.