Mario Grigorov
Mario Grigorov is a Bulgarian composer for film and television and a concert pianist. He performs on the piano and improvises in the styles of jazz, classical and world music.
Mario Grigorov's father was a concert trumpeter and his mother a concert pianist.[1] In 1968, the Sofia Conservatorium suspended its age requirement of seven years of age to allow a 5-year-old Grigorov to begin his classical studies.[2] In 1969, Mario’s father took the opportunity to play in the Shah’s handpicked orchestra, and the family relocated for 6 years. Mario’s tutelage in classical piano continued, and he was exposed to the sounds of the new culture he found himself surrounded by. In 1976, again for Mr. Grigorov’s symphony career, the family relocated, this time to East Germany. While finishing out the 1970s with a classical regimen, Grigorov and family moved to Vienna where Mario studied under renowned 20th century composer Thomas Christian David at the Vienna Conservatorium. In the early 1980s Mario moved to Sydney, Australia where he took classes in electronic music and Jazz studies with Don Burrows. He worked with many Australian rock groups. He has lived in Iran, Austria, Australia, Bulgaria, Germany and USA, now resides between Berlin and London.[2]
Career
Grigorov began composing for television, commercials and film in Sydney, Australia. In 1992, Miles Goodman, a film composer helped Mario relocate to the United States.[3] Three days after Grigorov's move to Los Angeles an A&R executive from Warner Brothers Records, Bob James, heard him improvising in a music store and signed him to his first major-label recording contract.[4] Grigorov then recorded his debut album Rhymes with Orange.[5] Grigorov toured the album at Europe and North America supporting musicians such as Wynton Marsalis,[6] Joshua Redman,[6] Charlie Haden and Béla Fleck.[7][8]
His second album, Aria, a collaboration with Paul Schwartz, was released on 14 October 1997 by Astor Place Records. Aria was a darker crossover with funk along with operatic themes from Carmen, The Magic Flute, Madame Butterfly and Dido and Aeneas. The album reached No. 4 on Billboard’s Top Classical Crossover chart.[9]
In 2000, Grigorov began composing music for screen in United States. He is most recognized for his musical scores on films by director Lee Daniels. They worked together on Shadowboxer (2005), Tennessee (2008), Precious (2009) and The Paperboy (2012).[10] In 2005 he opened his own commercial music company called Siblings Music, Inc. Siblings existed from 2005 - 2010 creating original music for the moving picture. For its duration, Mario has selected immensely talented musicians to compose on behalf of the company.[11] In 2011 he wrote the score for Patang by Indian director Prashant Bhargava which premiered at the same year Berlin International Film Festival,[12] The Hopes and Dreams of Gazza Snell by director Brendan Donovan and three films by Leonardo Ricagni’s: 29 Palms, The Life Jacket is Under Your Seat and El Chevrolé, for which Grigorov received 'Best Original Score' at the Hamptons International Film Festival.[citation needed]
In 2013, he won 'Best Music Feature' at the Massachusetts Independent Film Festival for his work on Susan Seidelman's Musical Chairs.[13]
In 2014 Mario met with director David Yates and they worked together on Yates' film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.[14][15] Mario Grigorov composed and co-wrote an original song, "Blind Pig", with J. K. Rowling, which was performed by Emmi.[16][17]
As a television film composer he wrote the musical score for Lifetime’s 2014 made for television films, Flowers in the Attic and Petals on the Wind. He continued to work with Lifetime on several other television movies including Harry and Meghan: A Royal Romance.[18]
Mario also has provided the music several documentaries, including: Third Wave: A Volunteer Story presented by Sean Penn, the Anna Halprin biographical film Breath Made Visible by filmmaker Ruedi Gerber, and the war documentary Taxi to the Dark Side by Alex Gibney, which won a 2008 Academy Award for best Documentary.[19][20]
As well as being a composer and performer, Mario Grigorov is also an artist and creates two-handed symmetrical drawings.[2] He combined his drawing style to his piano playing to develop an experimental type of keyboard play known as Mirror Tones.[8]
Filmography
- 1989 Glass
- 1992 Fear in America (TV Movie documentary)
- 1993 This Won't Hurt a Bit
- 1993 A Song for You (Short)
- 1994 Young at Hearts
- 1998 Edge City
- 1999 Razor's Edge (Short)
- 2001 Here (Short)
- 2002 29 Palms
- 2002 Grasp (Short)
- 2002 The Life Jacket Is Under Your Seat
- 2004 The Americans (Short)
- 2004 Rescue? (Short)
- 2005 Shadowboxer
- 2006 The Insurgents
- 2007 The Third Wave (Documentary)
- 2007 Feathers to the Sky (Short)
- 2007 The Attic (Video)
- 2008 Tennessee
- 2008 Accelerating America (Documentary)
- 2008 Ten: Thirty One (Short)
- 2009/II Precious
- 2009 War Against the Weak (Documentary)
- 2009 Breath Made Visible: Anna Halprin (Documentary)
- 2009 Jackson Parish (Short) (original music by)
- 2010 Devoted to Dance (Documentary)
- 2010 Oprah & Tyler: A Project of Passion (Video documentary short) (original score music)
- 2010 From Push to Precious (Video documentary short) (original score music)
- 2010 A Precious Ensemble (Video documentary short) (original score music)
- 2010 Malice N Wonderland (Video short)
- 2010 The Hopes & Dreams of Gazza Snell
- 2010 Seniors Rocking (Documentary short)
- 2011 Patang
- Episode #1.4 (* 2011)
- Episode 2 (* 2011)
- Episode 3 (* 2011)
- Episode 5 (* 2011)
- Episode #1.1 (* 2011)
- 2011 Untitled Jersey City Project (TV Series) (5 episodes)
- 2011 Musical Chairs
- 2011 Off-Ramp (Short)
- 2012/II Beyond
- 2012 The Paperboy
- 2012 The Anderson Monarchs (Documentary)
- 2012 59 Middle Lane (Documentary)
- 2012 Trauma Team
- 2013 Crazy Kind of Love
- 2013 Stay at Home (Short) (co-composer)
- 2013 Our Boys
- 2013 Dracula: The Dark Prince
- 2014 Flowers in the Attic (TV Movie) (music by)
- 2014 Squatters (Video)
- 2014 Flowers in the Attic 2: Petals on the Wind (TV Movie) (music by)
- 2014 Out in the Night (Documentary)
- 2014 Seasons of Love (TV Movie)
- Out in the Night (2015)
- 2015 P.O.V. (TV Series documentary) (1 episode)
- 2016 Harry Benson: Shoot First (Documentary)
- 2016 The Best Democracy Money Can Buy (Documentary)
- 2017 The Evil Within
- 2017 Another Mother's Son
- 2017 Gnaw
- 2018 Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance (TV Movie)
- 2018/VI The Conversation
- 2018 No Shame (Short)
- 2018 Look Away
- 2018 Wheels
- 2019 Totengebet (TV Movie)
- 2019 Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story (TV Movie)
- 2019 Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal (TV Movie)
- 2019 The Dare (completed)
- Kill Chain (completed)
- Episode #1.4 (2019)
- Episode #1.5 (2019)
- Episode #1.6 (2019)
- Episode #1.7 (2019)
- Episode #1.8 (2019)
- 2019 Spides (TV Series) (8 episodes)
- Line of Descent (2019) - Indian film released on ZEE5
- White Knight (post-production)
- Penumbral (Short) (post-production)
- 2020 Lair (pre-production)
Recordings
- Squatters, 2019
- The Absence of Presence, 2019
- Hello Big Shot, 2019
- War Against the Weak, 2019
- Harry and Meghan: A Royal Romance, 2018
- Ragtime to Shine, 2018
- The Presence of Absence, 2018
- Atomic Lounge, 2017
- Rhymes with Orange, 1994
Notable Concerts
"Chamber Music in Historic Sights" Los Angeles, CA[21]
Stereophile Show Waldford Astoria New York, NY[22]
Clifford Brown Jazz Festival[23]
Quebec Jazz Festival[24]
Toronto Jazz Festival
Edmonton Jazz festival, Shocton Theatre Edmonton, Alberta
Victoria Jazz Festival Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
Saskatoon Jazz Festival Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Saratoga Jazz Festival Saraoga, NY
Montreal Jazz Festival Dy Maurier Hall Montreal, Quebec
Newport Jazz Festival
San Jose Jazz Festival San Jose Museum of Art San Jose, CA
Santa FE Chamber Festival Santa FE, NM
Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans, LA
Performing Arts Center Calgary, Alberta
Hirshorn Museum Washington, Dc[25]
References
- ^ "Mario Grgiorov on Piano Jazz". Jazz 24. October 28, 2016.
- ^ a b c "MarioGrigorov". Enter Art Foundation.
- ^ http://www.public-republic.net/artist-of-the-week-mario-grigorov/
- ^ Farrell, Maureen (January 19, 2010). "In Pictures: How 17 Stars Got Their Big Breaks". Forbes.
- ^ Burnett, Ralph. "Mario Grigorov". My Sonic Island. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
- ^ a b Watrous, Peter (June 23, 1995). "JVC Jazz Festival, With the Old and the New". New York Times.
- ^ Shattuck, Kathryn (May 14, 1995). "Classical Music; Symphonies and Solos, and Crickets Join In". New York Times.
- ^ a b "Mario Grigorov". High Res Audio.
- ^ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (March 21, 1998). "Billboard". Nielsen. p. 59.
Billboard march 21 1998 top classical cross.
{{cite magazine}}:|last=has generic name (help); Cite magazine requires|magazine=(help) - ^ S., Andre (2010). "Mario Grigorov Q&A: Composer Discusses His 'Precious' Music". Alt Film Guide.
- ^ https://sonicscoop.com/2013/01/30/butter-music-sound-adds-mario-grigorov-west-coast-creative-director/
- ^ Shedde, Meenakshi (February 18, 2011). "Prashant Bhargava's 'Patang' in Berlin". The Economic Times.
- ^ "2013 Films Massachusetts Independent Film Festival". Massachusetts Independent Film Festival. 2013.
- ^ "MarioGrigorov composes song with J. K. Rowling for 'Fantastic Beasts'". Cool Music. November 18, 2016.
- ^ Broxton, Jonathan (November 20, 2016). "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them". Movie Music UK.
- ^ "Exclusive:Pottermore debuts jazz song from the Fantastic Beasts soundtrack". Pottermore. November 17, 2016.
- ^ Savage, Mark (November 15, 2016). "Singer wins big break in Fantastic Beasts". BBC.
- ^ "'Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance' Soundtrack Released |". Film Music Reporter.
- ^ ""Taxi to the Dark Side": Exposé on US Abuses in "War on Terror" Wins Oscar for Best Documentary". Democracy Now. February 26, 2008. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
- ^ "The 80th Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
- ^ "PERFORMING ARTS : Music in All the Right Places : Da Camera Society founder MaryAnn Bonino is a nonstop cheerleader for chamber music--in the proper venue". Los Angeles Times. November 5, 1995.
- ^ "ShowTime". Stereophile.com. November 14, 2007.
- ^ "Clifford Brown Jazz Festival". June 21, 2019 – via Wikipedia.
- ^ "The Gazette from Montreal, Quebec, Quebec, Canada on May 13, 1995 · 92". Newspapers.com.
- ^ "- The Washington Post" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
- "MarioGrigorov | Film Music Reporter".
- Tesser, Neil. "MarioGrigorov". Chicago Reader.
- "Mario Grigorov On Piano Jazz | WNYC | New York Public Radio, Podcasts, Live Streaming Radio, News". WNYC.
- "Mario Grigorov | Album Discography". AllMusic.
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