Sean Callery
Encyclopedia
Sean Callery is an film and television composer
best known as the composer for the action/drama
24
, a TV series for which he also composed three full soundtracks
. The first soundtrack, containing music from the first three seasons was released on December 7, 2004. The second soundtrack, containing music from the fourth and fifth seasons was on released on November 14, 2006. The third soundtrack contained all the music composed for the 24 television movie, 24: Redemption. Other notable projects include the 2004 James Bond
video game, Everything or Nothing
and the television series La Femme Nikita. He also composed the music for 24: The Game
, based on the series, which was created for Sony's PlayStation 2
game console. Callery's musical distinction lies in his integration of instruments, live sound, and sophisticated sound effects created through elaborate computer manipulation. Passages reminiscent of electroacoustic music
support the characteristic mood of 24 without the use of any sounds normally thought of as musical.
and raised in Bristol, Rhode Island
and began playing the piano
from a very early age. While pursuing a classical music
education, he played jazz
piano in nightclubs on weekends, and educated himself in various genres of music, as well as other instruments including the trombone
and tuba
. He went on to study at the New England Conservatory of Music
, earning a degree in piano performance in 1987. Callery also studied composition, and while working in the school's audio department to help with his education costs, he soon developed an interest in the burgeoning technologies that were being developed.
In late 1987, Callery moved to Los Angeles
to work for New England Digital
, the creators of the Synclavier
synthesizer, while he pursued his own musical career. He trained many composers on how to use this new musical technology, including Alan Silvestri
, James Newton Howard
, Herbie Hancock
, and Mark Snow
. During this time, he also began performing and arranging songs for various artists and projects.
In 1989, he composed music for the Siegfried & Roy
show in Las Vegas
. In 1990, he and John Farrar
scored the NBC
TV movie, A Mom for Christmas
. Working as a sound design
er on the series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
also earned him an Emmy
nomination. In 1996, Snow introduced Callery to executive producer Joel Surnow
, and Callery soon was hired to compose the dramatic underscore for the USA Network
series, La Femme Nikita, which aired for five seasons between 1997 and 2001.
Immediately following La Femme Nikita, Callery once again collaborated with Surnow on the television series 24
from 2001 to 2010. For his work on that series, he has received three Emmy Awards for Outstanding Music Composition For a Series (Dramatic Underscore), in 2003, 2006 and 2010. He also won the 2007 Film & TV Music Awards for Best Score for a Dramatic Television Program and Best Television Theme for his work on the series.
In addition to his work on 24, Callery scored the music to the television series Medium
from 2005 to 2010, all the episodes of Shark
, and is currently composing the music for Bones
since its fourth season.
In 2011 he scored the music to the miniseries The Kennedys, Kiefer Sutherland
's webseries The Confession
and the television series Homeland
.
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
best known as the composer for the action/drama
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
24
24 (TV series)
24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
, a TV series for which he also composed three full soundtracks
24: The Soundtrack
24: The Soundtrack, released on December 7, 2004, is based on the Fox television drama series 24, contains nineteen tracks of music composed exclusively for the first three seasons by producer Sean Callery, including the show's full theme song which has never been aired...
. The first soundtrack, containing music from the first three seasons was released on December 7, 2004. The second soundtrack, containing music from the fourth and fifth seasons was on released on November 14, 2006. The third soundtrack contained all the music composed for the 24 television movie, 24: Redemption. Other notable projects include the 2004 James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
video game, Everything or Nothing
James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing
007: Everything or Nothing is a third-person shooter video game, where the player controls James Bond. Bond is modeled after and voiced by the former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan, making it his final performance for the character in game and film...
and the television series La Femme Nikita. He also composed the music for 24: The Game
24: The Game
24: The Game is a third-person shooter video game, based on the FOX television series, 24. The game was developed by Sony Computer Entertainment's Cambridge Studios and was published by 2K Games for PlayStation 2. It was announced on March 30, 2005 and first released in North America on February...
, based on the series, which was created for Sony's PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
game console. Callery's musical distinction lies in his integration of instruments, live sound, and sophisticated sound effects created through elaborate computer manipulation. Passages reminiscent of electroacoustic music
Electroacoustic music
Electroacoustic music originated in Western art music during its modern era following the incorporation of electric sound production into compositional practice. The initial developments in electroacoustic music composition during the mid-20th century are associated with the activities of composers...
support the characteristic mood of 24 without the use of any sounds normally thought of as musical.
Biography
Callery was born in Hartford, ConnecticutHartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
and raised in Bristol, Rhode Island
Bristol, Rhode Island
Bristol is a town in and the historic county seat of Bristol County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 22,954 at the 2010 census. Bristol, a deepwater seaport, is named after Bristol, England....
and began playing the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
from a very early age. While pursuing a classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
education, he played jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
piano in nightclubs on weekends, and educated himself in various genres of music, as well as other instruments including the trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
and tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
. He went on to study at the New England Conservatory of Music
New England Conservatory of Music
The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, is the oldest independent school of music in the United States.The conservatory is home each year to 750 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies along with 1400 more in its Preparatory School as well as the School of...
, earning a degree in piano performance in 1987. Callery also studied composition, and while working in the school's audio department to help with his education costs, he soon developed an interest in the burgeoning technologies that were being developed.
In late 1987, Callery moved to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
to work for New England Digital
New England Digital
New England Digital Corp. , founded originally in Norwich, Vermont and eventually relocated to White River Junction, Vermont, was best known for its signature product, the Synclavier Synthesizer System, which evolved into the Synclavier Digital Audio System or "Tapeless Studio." The company sold...
, the creators of the Synclavier
Synclavier
The Synclavier System was an early digital synthesizer, polyphonic digital sampling system, and music workstation, manufactured by New England Digital Corporation, Norwich, VT. The original design and development of the Synclavier prototype occurred at Dartmouth College with the collaboration of...
synthesizer, while he pursued his own musical career. He trained many composers on how to use this new musical technology, including Alan Silvestri
Alan Silvestri
Alan Anthony Silvestri is an American film composer and conductor.-Career:Silvestri is best known for his collaborations with director Robert Zemeckis, having scored Romancing the Stone , the Back to the Future trilogy , Who Framed Roger Rabbit , Death Becomes Her , Forrest Gump , Contact ,...
, James Newton Howard
James Newton Howard
James Newton Howard is an American composer best known for his scores to motion pictures. He is one of the most popular and respected composers for cinema, and has scored over 100 films...
, Herbie Hancock
Herbie Hancock
Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
, and Mark Snow
Mark Snow
Mark Snow is an American composer for film and television.Born in New York, he grew up in Brooklyn, graduating from the High School of Music and Art and, afterwards, the Juilliard School of Music...
. During this time, he also began performing and arranging songs for various artists and projects.
In 1989, he composed music for the Siegfried & Roy
Siegfried & Roy
Siegfried & Roy are two German-American former entertainers who became known for their appearances with white lions and white tigers....
show in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
. In 1990, he and John Farrar
John Farrar
John Farrar is a music producer, songwriter, music arranger, singer and guitarist who is best known for his work with Olivia Newton-John with whom he wrote and produced many hit songs....
scored the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
TV movie, A Mom for Christmas
A Mom for Christmas
A Mom for Christmas is a 1990 fantasy/comedy television movie directed by George T. Miller and starring Olivia Newton-John. Based on the book A Mom by Magic by Barbara Dillon, the film originally aired on NBC on December 17, 1990.-Plot:...
. Working as a sound design
Sound design
Sound design is the process of specifying, acquiring, manipulating or generating audio elements. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including filmmaking, television production, theatre, sound recording and reproduction, live performance, sound art, post-production and video game software...
er on the series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
also earned him an Emmy
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nomination. In 1996, Snow introduced Callery to executive producer Joel Surnow
Joel Surnow
Joel Surnow is an American writer and producer best known for being the creator of the television series 24 and La Femme Nikita. He also produced the Fox News Channel The 1/2 Hour News Hour.-Biography:...
, and Callery soon was hired to compose the dramatic underscore for the USA Network
USA Network
USA Network is an American cable television channel launched in 1971. Once a minor player in basic cable, the network has steadily gained popularity because of breakout hits like Monk, Psych, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, Covert Affairs, White Collar, Monday Night RAW, Suits, and reruns of the various...
series, La Femme Nikita, which aired for five seasons between 1997 and 2001.
Immediately following La Femme Nikita, Callery once again collaborated with Surnow on the television series 24
24 (TV series)
24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
from 2001 to 2010. For his work on that series, he has received three Emmy Awards for Outstanding Music Composition For a Series (Dramatic Underscore), in 2003, 2006 and 2010. He also won the 2007 Film & TV Music Awards for Best Score for a Dramatic Television Program and Best Television Theme for his work on the series.
In addition to his work on 24, Callery scored the music to the television series Medium
Medium (TV series)
Medium is an American television drama series that premiered on NBC on January 3, 2005, and ended on CBS on January 21, 2011. Themed on supernatural gifts, its lead character, Allison DuBois , is a medium employed as a consultant for the Phoenix, Arizona district attorney's office...
from 2005 to 2010, all the episodes of Shark
Shark (TV series)
Shark is an American legal drama created by Ian Biederman that originally aired on CBS from September 21, 2006 to May 20, 2008. The series stars James Woods.-Synopsis:...
, and is currently composing the music for Bones
Bones (TV series)
Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent...
since its fourth season.
In 2011 he scored the music to the miniseries The Kennedys, Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland is an English-born Canadian actor, producer and director, best known for his portrayal of Jack Bauer on the Fox thriller drama series 24 for which he has won an Emmy Award , a Golden Globe award , two Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Satellite...
's webseries The Confession
The Confession (2011 TV series)
The Confession is a 10-part web series created by Kiefer Sutherland, written and directed by Brad Mirman, and starring Kiefer Sutherland and John Hurt. It premiered on Hulu on 28 March 2011. Each episode is around five to nine minutes long...
and the television series Homeland
Homeland (TV series)
Homeland is an American psychological thriller television series developed by Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa, based on the Israeli series Hatufim, also known as Prisoners of War, which was created by Gideon Raff...
.