Kris Bowers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kris Bowers
Bowers in 2024
Background information
Born	(1989-04-05) April 5, 1989 (age 36) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Jazz, classical, electronic, ambient
Occupation(s)	Composer, musician
Instruments	Piano, keyboards
Years active	2010–present

Kristopher Bowers (born April 5, 1989) is an American composer, pianist, and director. He creates music for many popular films and TV shows. Some of his famous works include the scores for Green Book, King Richard, and Bridgerton.

Kris has won a Daytime Emmy Award for his music in The Snowy Day. He has also been nominated for many other big awards. These include the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards and Grammy Awards.

He co-directed two documentaries with Ben Proudfoot. One of these, The Last Repair Shop, even won an Oscar! Kris has worked with famous musicians like Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. He has also teamed up with film directors such as Ava DuVernay and Justin Simien.

Kris Bowers' Early Life and Musical Journey

Kris Bowers was born in Los Angeles, California, on April 5, 1989. His parents loved music and wanted him to play the piano. They even played piano recordings for him before he was born! Kris started piano lessons when he was just four years old.

He began taking private classical music lessons at age nine. He enjoyed listening to classic soul, hip-hop, jazz, and classical music. Film scores, which are the music for movies, also captured his interest.

Learning and Growing as a Musician

Kris studied jazz and classical piano in high school. He attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. After high school, he went to the Juilliard School. This is a very famous music school in New York City. He earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees in jazz performance there. While studying, he often performed music in New York City.

Kris Bowers' Career Highlights

In 2011, Kris won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition. This was a big achievement for him. The next year, he played on the album Watch the Throne. This album was made by famous artists Jay-Z and Kanye West. He also toured with jazz musician Marcus Miller in 2012.

First Album and Film Music

In 2013, Kris recorded his first album, Heroes + Misfits. It was released in 2014. Music critics said his album mixed jazz with modern R&B, film scores, and electronic music. The album quickly became number one on the iTunes Jazz charts. His first time composing for a film was for the 2013 documentary Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me.

Performing and Composing for Documentaries

In 2014, Kris performed at the International Jazz Day Concert in Japan. He also played at jazz festivals in Spain and London. In 2015, he gained attention for his music in the documentary Kobe Bryant's Muse. He also scored two other documentaries that year. These were I Am Giant about football player Victor Cruz and Play It Forward about Tony Gonzalez.

In 2016, Kris was invited to perform at The White House. This was for the International Jazz Day Concert. President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama hosted the event.

Emmy Award-Winning Work

In 2016, Kris composed music for The Snowy Day. This was a children's Christmas special for Amazon. It was based on a popular book. For his work on this show, Kris won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Direction and Composition.

In 2018, Kris wrote the music for the film Green Book. This film was nominated for a Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Score. Kris also helped the film's star, Mahershala Ali, learn to play the piano. He even stood in for some close-up shots of hands playing the piano in the movie!

Directing and More Film Scores

In 2020, Kris Bowers and Ben Proudfoot directed a short documentary. It was called A Concerto Is a Conversation. This film was nominated for an Oscar. Since 2020, Kris has been composing the music for Netflix's popular show, Bridgerton. He has been nominated for an Emmy for his work on this series.

Kris has continued to compose for many films. These include Space Jam: A New Legacy (2021) and Chevalier (2022). In 2023, he worked on music for Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. He also composed the score for The Color Purple.

Collaborations and Performances

Kris Bowers often works with other artists. In 2015, he teamed up with choreographer Kyle Abraham. They created a dance piece called Absent Matter. They worked together again in 2016 for Untitled America.

Kris has also combined his music with special dining experiences. In 2016, he created music to go with a multi-course meal. In 2017, he wrote music inspired by a special champagne.

Kris Bowers' Musical Style

Early in his career, The New York Times described Kris's piano playing. They said it was "serious, thoughtful, organized, restrained." They also noted that he made the piano sound very good. His music shows a wide range and ambition.

Kris is influenced by many great musicians. These include jazz legends like Oscar Peterson and Duke Ellington. He also looks up to film composer John Williams.

Awards and Honors

Kris Bowers has received many awards and honors for his amazing work.

Other Honors

• DownBeat magazine: “25 for the Future” (2016)
• ROBIE Pioneer Award from the Jackie Robinson Foundation (2019)

Kris Bowers' Music Albums

Kris Bowers has released his own music and played on albums for other artists.

As a Leader

As a Sideman (Playing for Others)

Kris Bowers' Film Scores

Kris Bowers has composed music for many movies.

Kris Bowers' Television Scores

Kris Bowers has also composed music for many TV shows and miniseries.

Kris Bowers' Documentary Work

Kris Bowers has composed for and directed several documentaries.

Kris Bowers' Video Game Music

Kris Bowers has also created music for video games.