Christophe Beck Biography

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CHRISTOPHE BECK (Music), in an unprecedented short time span, has scored numerous films in virtually every genre. His talent is evident in a wide range of features spanning from the now classic teen comedy “Bring It On” to the best-selling novel/film adaptation “Under the Tuscan Sun.” Beck's recent credits include “Cheaper by the Dozen,” “Just Married,” “Confidence,” and “American Wedding.” Other credits include “Guinevere,” “The Alarmist,” “The Tuxedo” and “Dickie Roberts.”

Beck's road to film scoring was circuitous. The Montreal native started piano lessons at 5 and by 11 he was writing music for his first-ever band, Chris and The Cupcakes. During high school he studied flute, saxophone, trombone and drums and performed in rock bands.

While studying music at Yale, Beck had an epiphany: “I discovered my talent for composing was far greater than my talent for performing.” He wrote two musicals with his brother Jason (a.k.a. Chilly Gonzales, the Berlin-based hip-hop recording artist), as well as an opera based on “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allen Poe.

Upon graduation from Yale in 1992, he moved to Los Angeles to attend USC's prestigious film scoring program, where he studied with Jerry Goldsmith. Beck was immediately attracted to the creative challenges unique to the marriage of music and picture. A personal recommendation from the legendary Buddy Baker, head of the USC Music Department, led to his first assignment for a Canadian TV series called “White Fang.” Soon thereafter, he was asked to score a new TV series, “Buffy,” based on the movie. Beck received the Emmy® for Outstanding Music Composition for his music to “Buffy.” He decided to leave and pursue film work.

Beck was concerned about leaving television: “It was actually quite terrifying. And things were slow during that first year, but I had faith in my abilities and it didn't take too long for things to start rolling.” Christophe Beck's attitude and unique talents set him apart from many composers working today. “I pride myself on being very accommodating to the needs of the film and its creators. Each score I write, I try to make better than all the rest that have come before.”

His latest scores include: Warner Bros.' “A Cinderella Story,” Fox's “Garfield,” Paramount's “Without a Paddle” and Fox's “Elektra.” Chris' work can be heard next in Disney's ICE PRINCESS.