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John McCarthy (composer)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John McCarthy
Background information
Born (1961-06-27) June 27, 1961 (age 63)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
OccupationComposer
Years active1993–present
Websitemccarthymusic.com

John McCarthy (born June 27, 1961) is a Canadian composer for film and television.[1] His music has been described as a hybrid of acoustical and electronic elements. McCarthy’s background includes extensive experience in classical, jazz, rock, and world music.

Life and career

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McCarthy studied at The Royal Conservatory of Music and Humber College. He has recorded and toured with many bands including Ian Hunter (Mott The Hoople) and Frozen Ghost.[2]

McCarthy's first film, Love and Human Remains, was directed by Academy Award winner Denys Arcand. The film is a dark comedy about a group of GenX twenty-somethings (one of whom is a serial killer) who are looking for love and meaning in a big city during the 1990s.[3] McCarthy scored a pair of episodes of the 2015 David Shore/Vince Gilligan show Battle Creek (CBS).[4]

His other work in television includes scoring the CBS series Due South (created by Academy Award winner Paul Haggis)[5] and the NBC series My Own Worst Enemy, starring Christian Slater.[6]

In 2010, McCarthy scored the short film Local Change, Global Impact. The film was produced by the International Peace Institute, a division of the United Nations, and narrated by Patrick Stewart.[7]

McCarthy is the younger brother of actress Sheila McCarthy.[8] They have worked together on several movies including The Stone Angel, The Possession of Michael D, and Virtual Mom.

Awards

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McCarthy won the Genie Award (Canadian Academy Award) in 2009 for Best Original Score for the feature film The Stone Angel, starring Ellen Burstyn and directed by Kari Skogland.[9]

In 2001, McCarthy received the Dale Melbourne Herklotz Award for Excellence in Music at the Marco Island Film Festival for Dischord.[10]

In addition, McCarthy was nominated for Gemini Awards in both 1995 and 1996 for Best Original Music Score for the television series Due South.[11]

Selected filmography

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Film

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Television

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TV movies

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References

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  1. ^ "Filmography for John McCarthy". TCM Archive Materials. TCM. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  2. ^ "Frozen Ghost official website". Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  3. ^ "Love and Human Remains". Canadian Film Encyclopedia. TIFF. Retrieved 2 March 2014.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "Weekly TV Music Roundup". Film Music Reporter.
  5. ^ "Jay Semko". Innerviews. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  6. ^ Lowry, Brian (9 October 2008). "Review: My Own Worst Enemy". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  7. ^ "Local Change, Global Impact". International Peace Institute. vimeo. 13 December 2010. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  8. ^ "Genie Awards". Siegel Productions. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
  9. ^ "Passchendaele, Necessities of Life dominate Genie Awards". Arts and Entertainment. CBC News. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  10. ^ "MARCO ISLAND FILM FEST AUDIENCE CHOOSE WINNERS". Film Threat. Hamster Stampede. Archived from the original on 10 March 2014. Retrieved 2 March 2014.
  11. ^ "Due South Honors and Awards". Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
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