Press kit

Philip Sheppard

Composer, cellist and live looper. His music runs from Sundance and the International Emmys to David Bowie, ODESZA and the Olympic Games.

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Interviews and enquiries

Philip Sheppard with his cello — Man and Boy. Photograph: Nathan Azopardi

Biography · 180 words

Philip Sheppard is a composer, cellist and live looper, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music, where he became its youngest professor, and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

“Philip is one of the most broadly innovative and creative people I have ever known, or known of.”Tom Gruber

He has written music for more than 85 films and series, among them the Sundance Audience Award winner In the Shadow of the Moon, whose score was nominated for Best Original Score for a Documentary by the International Film Music Critics, HBO’s Emmy-nominated I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, the BBC’s Human Universe and Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story, presented by Keanu Reeves, winner of the 2024 International Emmy for Best Sports Documentary. For games, he wrote the music for Kara in Detroit: Become Human.

Philip Sheppard on stage at The Gorge — At The Gorge with ODESZA. Photograph: Julian Bajsel

His cello runs through records by David Bowie, Scott Walker, Jarvis Cocker, UNKLE, Suzanne Vega and ODESZA, with whom he toured The Last Goodbye, including three sold-out nights at Madison Square Garden. He arranged, conducted and recorded all 205 national anthems for the London 2012 Olympics, and has written for the Rugby World Cup, the Tour de France and the Paris 2024 medal ceremonies. He is Artist in Residence at XPRIZE.

Short biography · 60 words

Philip Sheppard is a composer, cellist and live looper. He has scored more than 85 films and series, including the Sundance Audience Award winner In the Shadow of the Moon and the International Emmy-winning Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story, wrote the music for Kara in Detroit: Become Human, and builds orchestral landscapes live from a single Georgian cello.

In the press

“He is the definition of a modern, working classical musician.”VICE

“Gripping music, much more than a soundtrack for an imaginary movie.”Gramophone

“A masterful string-based score.”Soundtrack Central, on Detroit: Become Human

The facts

Based London, Minnesota, Los Angeles and New York
Instruments Cello, electric cello, loopers, samplers, electronica
Honours Fellow, Royal Academy of Music; member, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (2017); BBC Music Production of the Year for The Manchester Passion; one of Origin Magazine’s Top 100 Creatives
Film and TV 85+ scores, including Sundance and International Emmy winners
Games Detroit: Become Human (Quantic Dream)
Live ODESZA, UNKLE, Meltdown, London 2012, Paris 2024
Speaking C2 Montréal, EG, Business Innovation Factory, TEDx
Listeners Around 2 million a month on Spotify
Management Geoff Muncey, via philipsheppard.com/contact