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Gordy Haab

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Gordy Haab
Born (1976-03-10) March 10, 1976 (age 48)
Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
Websitewww.gordyhaabmusic.com

Gordy Haab (born 1976) is an American film, video game and television composer based in Los Angeles, California. His work has been featured in works associated with franchises including Star Wars Battlefront II, for which he won Video Game Score of the Year[1] from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Haab is also known for his work on Microsoft's Halo Wars 2, for which he was nominated for a 2017 HMMA award.[2] His score for Electronic Arts' Star Wars: Battlefront, won three awards at the 2016 GDC G.A.N.G. Awards: Music of the Year, Best Interactive Score, and Best Instrumental Score.[3] Haab was also nominated for a BAFTA Games Awards for his work on Star Wars: Battlefront.[4]

His work has been covered by publications, including the HuffPost, which said, "Star Wars Battlefront is sounding better and better everyday...this new Star Wars music will light your saber."[5] In 2015, Hardcore Gamer was among the first to link Haab to his inspiration by saying, "Star Wars Battlefront features the best game score John Williams never wrote."[6] The Los Angeles Times has also recognized Haab's work, saying "the B-side to John Williams' score,"[7] and Billboard quoted Steve Schnur, the president of music for EA, as saying, "Gordy is one of the few composers in the world on Lucas' short list."[8]

Early life

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Haab developed an early interest in music when he was six and was particularly moved by the score of the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982).[8][9] Haab decided to pursue a career in the industry by attending the Virginia Commonwealth University,[10] where he learned to compose music by hand and it remains his preferred composition method, telling The Sound Architect that, "I say this not to discredit the use of technology, because it also plays a major role in my process. But a piano, a blank page, and a pencil – and no screens glowing in my face – has a way of quieting my soul and allowing me to just, write."[11] Haab received a bachelor's degree in Jazz Music Composition in 1999. He then went on to the University of Southern California, where he received his master's in Scoring for Motion Pictures in 2001.[8][9]

Career

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Among other projects, Haab scored Activision/AMC's The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct, based on the TV series, and Microsoft's Kinect: Star Wars,[12][13] which won Best Music at the Hollywood Music In Media Awards. Haab continues to compose the music for Electrionic Arts and Bioware's Star Wars: The Old Republic, for which he was awarded Best Original Soundtrack and Best Instrumental Music at the 10th Annual GDC G.A.N.G. Awards.[14] He has recorded and conducted his music with various groups from all around the world, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco Symphony, the Nashville Symphony, London Voices and the Hollywood Studio Orchestra.[15][16]

Haab's other film, television and video game credits include Anchor Bay's Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon; MTV's The Truth Below; Dave Barry's 'Guide to Guys;' Lionsgate's 'War;' The Oprah Winfrey Network's The Judds; Roadside Attractions Shrink; ABC's Greek; VH-1's Scream Queens; and LucasArts' Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings.[17]

Discography

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Films

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Year Title Director Studio(s) Notes
2021 My Country, My Parents Wu Jing, Zhang Ziyi, Xu Zheng, Shen Teng China Film Co., Ltd. Windriders segment only.
2023 Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms Wuershan Tencent Pictures

Video games

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Year Title Studio Notes
2009 Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings LucasArts
2011 Star Wars: The Old Republic Electronic Arts Composed with Mark Griskey
2012 Kinect Star Wars LucasArts Composed with Kyle Newmaster
2013 The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct Activision
2015 Star Wars Battlefront Electronic Arts
2017 Halo Wars 2 Microsoft Studios Composed with Brian Trifon and Brian Lee White
2018 Star Wars: Battlefront II Electronic Arts
2019 Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Composed with Stephen Barton
2020 Star Wars: Squadrons
2022 MultiVersus Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Composed with Stephen Barton and Kevin Notar
2023 Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Electronic Arts
Lucasfilm Games
Respawn Entertainment
Composed with Stephen Barton
2024 Star Wars: Hunters Zynga
Lucasfilm Games
NaturalMotion
Composed with various artists
2024 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Bethesda
Lucasfilm Games
Machine Games

Awards

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Year Work Organization Category Result Ref
2012 "Glory, The Galactic Republic" from Star Wars: The Old Republic Game Audio Network Guild Awards Best Original Instrumental Song Won [14]
Star Wars: The Old Republic Best Original Soundtrack Album Won
Kinect: Star Wars Hollywood Music in Media Awards Best Original Song-Video Game Won [18]
2016 Star Wars: Battlefront British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTA) Awards BAFTA Games Audio Achievement Nominated [4]
Game Audio Network Guild Awards Best Interactive Score Won [3]
Music of the Year Won
2017 Halo Wars 2 Music in Visual Media Awards Original Score - Video Game Nominated [2]
2018 Star Wars Battlefront II American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers Video Game Score of the Year Won [1]
Game Audio Network Guild Awards Best Interactive Score Nominated [19]
Best Cinematic Cutscene Audio Nominated
Music of the Year Nominated
Audio of The Year Nominated
Crusaders of Light Best Music in a Casual/Social Game Nominated
Halo Wars 2 Best Interactive Score Nominated
Best Cinematic Cutscene Audio Nominated
2024 Star Wars Jedi: Survivor The Recording Academy Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media Won [20]
Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences D.I.C.E. Award for Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition Nominated [21]
Ivor Novello Awards Best Original Video Game Score Won [22]

References

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  1. ^ a b "2018 ASCAP Screen Music Awards". ASCAP. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "HMMA 2017 Awards". Hollywood Music in Media Awards. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  3. ^ a b "2016 Award winners". Game Audio Network Guild. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Games in 2016 - Awards". British Academy Film Awards. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  5. ^ Beres, Damon (November 10, 2015). "This New 'Star Wars' Music Will Light Your Saber For 'Battlefront'". HuffPost. AOL. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  6. ^ Steighner, Mark (November 22, 2015). "Star Wars Battlefront Features the Best Game Score John Williams Never Wrote". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  7. ^ Martens, Todd (November 17, 2015). "The Player: How 'Star Wars Battlefront' created the B-side to John Williams' score". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  8. ^ a b c Parisi, Paula (May 31, 2018). "As Composer Gordy Haab Games the 'Star Wars' Universe, Could He Be John Williams' Heir Apparent?". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  9. ^ a b Djordjevic, Zdravko (December 20, 2017). "The Stellar Music of Battlefront II". The Audio Spotlight. Archived from the original on March 4, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  10. ^ "Music Alumnus Gordy Haab on Composing Music for Star Wars". Virginia Commonwealth University. January 11, 2018. Archived from the original on March 4, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  11. ^ Hughes, Sam (June 2, 2018). "Interview with Star Wars Battlefront I and II Composer, Gordy Haab". The Sound Architect. Retrieved June 2, 2018.
  12. ^ Gordy Haab. "AMC's The Walking Dead Survival Instinct". SoundCloud. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  13. ^ Valle, Raul (May 4, 2012). "Interview with Kinect Star Wars Composers, Gordy Haab and Kyle Newmaster". Pixelated Geek. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  14. ^ a b "2012 Award winners". Game Audio Network Guild. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  15. ^ "Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra - Filmography". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  16. ^ Kyle Newmaster. "Kinect Star Wars Soundtrack". SoundCloud. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  17. ^ "Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Apple Music. Glen Echo Entertainment. March 16, 2007. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  18. ^ Amélie E. Koran; Dan Goldwasser (November 19, 2012). "Hollywood Music in Media Awards Marco Beltrami Best Score for 'The Sessions'". Soundtrack.Net. Autotelics, LLC. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  19. ^ "2018 Award winners". Game Audio Network Guild. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  20. ^ Kerr, Chris (February 5, 2024). "Star Wars Jedi: Survivor wins Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games at the Grammys". Game Developer. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  21. ^ "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details Star Wars Jedi: Survivor". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  22. ^ "BMI Congratulates its 2024 Ivor Novello Award Winners". BMI. May 24, 2024. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
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