Harry Gregson-Williams facts for kids

Harry Gregson-Williams (born 13 December 1961) is a British composer who writes music for movies, TV shows, and video games. He is also a conductor and music producer.

You've probably heard his music in many popular films like the Shrek movies, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Chicken Run, and The Martian. He also created music for the Metal Gear video game series.

Harry has worked with famous directors such as Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, and Ben Affleck. His older brother, Rupert Gregson-Williams, is also a well-known composer.

Education and Early Life

Harry Gregson-Williams showed musical talent from a young age. When he was seven, he won a special music scholarship to St John's College School in Cambridge.

He was a chorister (a singer in a choir) at the school. Later, he attended Stowe School, which is a private boarding school in Buckinghamshire, where he continued his music studies. He then went on to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London to learn even more about music.

A fun fact about his childhood is that he learned to play the piano on a special Broadwood piano. His father bought this piano with money he won from a very lucky bet on the Grand National horse race!

Music for Movies

Harry Gregson-Williams has composed music for over 100 films. His music helps tell the story and makes the audience feel different emotions. He often works on animated movies, action films, and dramas.

Some of his early animated film scores include Antz (1998) and The Tigger Movie (2000). He became very famous for his work on the Shrek movies, starting with the first one in 2001. He also composed the music for Chicken Run (2000) and its sequel, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget (2023).

He has created exciting music for action and adventure films like Spy Game (2001), Man on Fire (2004), and Déjà Vu (2006). He also composed the scores for fantasy movies such as The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008).

More recently, he has scored films like The Martian (2015), The Meg (2018), and Mulan (2020). He is also working on the upcoming movie Gladiator II (2024).

Music for Television

Besides movies, Harry Gregson-Williams has also composed music for several television shows and specials. He worked on the TV special Shrek the Halls in 2007, bringing his familiar Shrek music to the small screen.

He also composed for the miniseries Catch-22 (2019) with his brother, Rupert Gregson-Williams. Another notable TV project is The Gilded Age (2022–2023), which he also scored with his brother.

Music for Video Games

Harry Gregson-Williams is well-known in the gaming world for his music. He has composed for the highly popular Metal Gear series, including Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001), Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (2004), and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008).

He also contributed to the music of the Call of Duty series, providing main themes and acting as a music producer for games like Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007) and Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014).

Theme Park Rides

Harry Gregson-Williams's music can even be heard at theme parks! He composed the music for the Shrek 4-D ride, which can be found at various theme parks around the world. This ride is based on the popular Shrek film franchise.

Awards and Nominations

Harry Gregson-Williams has been recognized for his amazing work with several awards and nominations.

Primetime Emmy Awards

He has been nominated for the prestigious Primetime Emmy Awards for his television work:

See also

In Spanish: Harry Gregson-Williams para niños