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Michael Abels (born October 8, 1962) is an American composer best known for the opera Omar, co-written with , and his scores for the films , Us and Nope. The hip-hop influenced score for Us was short-listed for the and was even named "Score of the Decade" by . Other recent media projects include the films Bad Education, , , and the docu-series Allen v. Farrow. His most recent releases include Beauty which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and is now streaming on Netflix, Breaking (formerly 892) which premiered at Sundance, and his third collaboration with Jordan Peele, Nope.

Abels' works also includes many concert works, such as At War With Ourselves for the , Isolation Variation for , and the opera Omar co-composed with Grammy-winning singer/songwriter . Some of these pieces are available on the , including Delights & Dances and Winged Creatures. Recent commissions include a work for the National Symphony Orchestra and a guitar concerto for Mak Grgić.

Abels is co-founder of the Composers Diversity Collective, an advocacy group to increase visibility of composers of color in film, gaming and streaming media.

In 2023, the opera Omar, co-written by Abels and , won the Pulitzer Prize for Music.

Early life
Abels was born in Phoenix, Arizona. He spent his early years on a small farm in , where he lived with his grandparents. Introduced to music via the family piano, he began showing an innate curiosity towards music at age 4.De Lerma, Dominique-Rene. "African Heritage Symphonic Series Vol. III". Liner note essay. Cedille Records CDR066. His music-loving grandparents convinced the local piano teacher to take him on as a student despite his age. At age 8, Abels began composing music, and by age 13, his first completed orchestral work was performed.

Upon graduating from high school, Abels attended the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music in . Abels, who is mixed race, eventually studied West African drumming techniques at California Institute of the Arts, and sang in a predominantly black church choir to further explore his roots.

Filmography
Composer
  • (2017)
  • Us (2019)
  • See You Yesterday (2019)
  • All Day and a Night (2020)
  • Bad Education (2020)
  • (2021)
  • (2021)
  • Allen v. Farrow (2021)
  • Nope (2022)
  • Breaking (2022)
  • Landscape with Invisible Hand (2023)
  • The Burial (2023)
  • The American Society of Magical Negroes (2024)
  • The Acolyte (2024)
  • Sirens (2025)

Additional music

  • Detroit (2017)

Other works
  • Global Warming (1990) (commissioned by the Phoenix Youth Symphony)
  • I'm Determined (1991) for orchestra
  • How Majestic (1992) for orchestra
  • American Variations on Swing Low Sweet Chariot (1993) (premiered by and the )
  • Frederick's Fables (1994, 1996) four pieces for orchestra, based on selected stories of
  • Dance for Martin's Dream (1998) for orchestra (commissioned by the and the Nashville Symphony)
  • You're a Grand Old Flag (1995) for orchestra
  • More Seasons (1999)
  • Limitless (2000) for choir, or soloist with choral accompaniment, and piano
  • Homies & Popz (2001) opera
  • Tribute (2001) for orchestra
  • Affectionate Objects (2004) for orchestra
  • Outburst (2005) for orchestra
  • Delights & Dances (2007) for string quartet and orchestra
  • Urban Legends (2008) for string quartet and orchestra (commissioned by the Sphinx Organization)
  • Aquadia (2009) for orchestra (co-commissioned by the Chicago Sinfonietta and the )
  • Be the Change (2015) for choir, or soloist with choral accompaniment, and piano
  • The Open Hand
  • Victory Road (2017) for orchestra
  • Iconoclasm (2017) for piano
  • Liquify (2017) for orchestra
  • Twilight Drive for piano
  • Winged Creatures (2018) for flute, clarinet and orchestra (commissioned by ) written for Anthony and
  • Pensivity for piano
  • Life in a Day
  • Struck by Enlightenment
  • Falling Sky (for concert band) (2019)
  • Falling Sky, ballet (2020)
  • Anguish (from Falling Sky) (2020) for piano
  • Gift of the Machine (2020)
  • Isolation Variation (2020) for unaccompanied violin (for )
  • At War with Ourselves, oratorio - libretto by , commissioned for the
  • Omar, an original opera on the life of Omar ibn Said co-composed by
  • Get Out, in concert (2020)
  • Emerge (2021) for orchestra (co-commission from Detroit Symphony Orchestra)
  • Guitar Concerto "Borders" (2022) Commissioned by & Quad City Symphony, written for Mak Grgić

Awards and nominations
2017Fright Meter AwardsBest ScoreGet Out
World Soundtrack AwardsDiscovery of the Year
International Online Cinema AwardsBest Original Score
2018International Film Music Critics AwardsBest Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film
Black Reel AwardsOutstanding Score
2019Washington DC Area Film Critics Association AwardBest Original ScoreUs
World Soundtrack AwardsDiscovery of the Year
Indiana Film Journalists AssociationBest Musical Score
Greater Western New York Film Critics Association AwardsBest Score
Chicago Film Critics Association AwardBest Original Score
Phoenix Critics CircleBest Score
Seattle Film Critics Society AwardsBest Original Score
Hollywood Music in Media AwardsBest Original Score- Horror Film
Fright Meter AwardsBest Score
202051st NAACP Image AwardOutstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album
Critics Choice AwardsBest Score
Black Reel AwardOutstanding Score
Latino Entertainment Journalists Association Film AwardBest Music
Music City Film Critics' Association AwardBest Score
North Carolina Film Critics AssociationBest Music
Online Film & Television Association, OFTA Film AwardBest Music, Original Score
Society of Composers and Lyricists AwardsOutstanding Original Score for a Studio Film
Austin Film Critics Association AwardsBest Score
International Film Music Critics AwardBest Original Score for a Fantasy/Science Fiction/Horror Film
Central Ohio Film Critics AssociationBest Score
Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle AwardBest Original Score
Georgia Film Critics AssociationOriginal Score
Gold Derby AwardsOriginal Score
Hawaii Film Critics SocietyBest Original Score
Hollywood Critics AssociationBest Score
Houston Film Critics Society AwardsBest Original Score
Online Film Critics Society AwardsBest Original Score
202173rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Original Score for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score) Allen v. Farrow
73rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Original Main Title Theme MusicAllen v. Farrow
2023Pulitzer PrizeMusicOmar
202556th NAACP Image AwardsOutstanding Original Score for Television/Motion PictureThe Acolyte
56th NAACP Image AwardsOutstanding Original Score for Television/Motion PictureThe American Society of Magical Negroes

External links

: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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