Mark Isham

Mark Isham's dynamic and diverse musical career includes a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award and multiple Grammy, Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for his material both as a composer and a recording artist/instrumentalist. His wide range of talents and eclectic musical interests have produced over 50 film scores and several albums of electric jazz, classic acoustic jazz and New Age music in addition to dozens of special projects and recordings. As a trumpet player he is highly in demand and has been a guest soloist for some of today's top recording artists in jazz, pop, rock, classical and country music.

Born in New York, Isham began his musical career as a trumpet player, first in classical music and then in jazz. As a young man, he played trumpet in the Oakland and San Francisco Symphonies and the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. He went on to play in various jazz and rock bands and in his early 20's he forged into electronic music, becoming a renowned synthesizer programmer.

Today, Isham is one of the most sought-after composers in Hollywood. His film credits number over 50, including October Sky, Kiss the Girls, Varsity Blues, At First Sight, Blade, Fly Away Home, A River Runs Through It, Rules of Engagement, and his latest release Men of Honor. Since his first film score for Disney's critically acclaimed film Never Cry Wolf in 1983, Isham's musical capability has led him to compose scores for every combination from large orchestras to intimate jazz ensembles to electronic instruments. Isham won an Emmy Award for his work on the critically acclaimed series EZ Streets and Emmy nominations for Chicago Hope and Nothing Sacred. He is currently scoring the CBS hit drama Family Law.

As a recording artist, Isham has received two Grammy nominations in jazz and received a Grammy for Best New Age Performer for his album, Mark Isham (Virgin). Isham's latest album, Miles Remembered: The Silent Way Project (Columbia), has received great critical acclaim including "Best Jazz Album in 1999" by the London Times. Isham was also nominated for three Grammy Awards for his music for the Rabbit Ears series of children's albums, narrated by award-winning actors including Susan Sarandon, Glenn Close, Jeremy Irons and William Hurt, with Isham's evocative scores.

Isham is in constant demand as a trumpeter and has recorded and appeared with artists as diverse as Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, Lyle Lovett, Willie Nelson, Kenny Loggins, Toots Thielemans, Marianne Faithful, Ziggy Marley and Suzanne Vega.

Isham's first commissioned orchestral work, Five Short Stories for Trumpet and Orchestra for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, premiered in 1992 with Isham performing the solo trumpet role. Since then he has had orchestral performances across the country of his original compositions and film scores.

Isham has now returned to his electronic music roots with the newest incarnation of his band incorporating sampled loops, dance rhythms, electric guitar, keyboards, bass and his distinctive trumpet.