Alberto Iglesias Fernández-Berridi (born 21 October 1955)
is a Spanish composer. He was first noticed as a score composer for Spanish films, mostly from
Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar Caballero (; born 25 September 1949) is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and author. His films are distinguished by Melodrama (film genre), melodrama, irreverent humour, bold colour, glossy décor, quotations from popular c ...
and
Julio Medem
Julio Medem Lafont (born 21 October 1958) is a Basque film director, producer, editor, and screenwriter.
Biography
Medem was born on 21 October 1958 in San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain and showed an interest in movies since childhood, when ...
.
His career became more international with time and he eventually started to work also in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood ...
. Since then, he has been nominated four times for an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
for his work in the films ''
The Constant Gardener'' (2005),
''
The Kite Runner'' (2007), ''
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'' (2011), and ''
Parallel Mothers'' (2021). His other film credits include soundtracks for
Steven Soderbergh
Steven Andrew Soderbergh ( ; born January 14, 1963) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, and editor. A pioneer of modern Independent film, independent cinema, Soderbergh later drew acclaim for formally inventiv ...
's ''
Che''. and
Hossein Amini's ''
The Two Faces of January'' (2014). Iglesias also has worked for
ballet
Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
and has done other classical music work.
Early and personal life
Alberto Iglesias Fernández-Berridi was born in 1955 in
San Sebastián
San Sebastián, officially known by the bilingual name Donostia / San Sebastián (, ), is a city and municipality located in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain. It lies on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, from the France–Spain border ...
, Spain.
His sister is visual artist
Cristina Iglesias.
Iglesias was the brother-in-law of the late Spanish sculptor,
Juan Muñoz.
[
]
Career
Iglesias studied harmony and counterpoint at the Conservatory of his home city, with Francisco Escudero, continuing his education in Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, where he studied composition and piano, and at Phonos studios, in Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
, where he learned electronic music. Afterwards, he created a duo of electronic music with Javier Navarrete, who worked and performed together from 1981 to 1986. Iglesias began working in film composition in the 1980s. He has composed a number of scores for films directed by Pedro Almodóvar
Pedro Almodóvar Caballero (; born 25 September 1949) is a Spanish film director, screenwriter and author. His films are distinguished by Melodrama (film genre), melodrama, irreverent humour, bold colour, glossy décor, quotations from popular c ...
, such as '' The Flower of My Secret'' (1995), '' Live Flesh'' (1997), '' All About My Mother'' (1999), '' Talk to Her'' (2002), '' Bad Education'' (2004), ''Volver
''Volver'' (, meaning "to return") is a 2006 Spanish comedy-drama film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Penélope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas, Blanca Portillo, Yohana Cobo, and ...
'' (2006), '' Broken Embraces'' (2009) and '' The Skin I Live In'' (2011).
Iglesias also composed the music for '' Sex and Lucia'' (2001), directed by Julio Medem
Julio Medem Lafont (born 21 October 1958) is a Basque film director, producer, editor, and screenwriter.
Biography
Medem was born on 21 October 1958 in San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain and showed an interest in movies since childhood, when ...
[ and for ]Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone (born ) is an American filmmaker. Stone is an acclaimed director, tackling subjects ranging from the Vietnam War and American politics to musical film, musical Biographical film, biopics and Crime film, crime dramas. He has ...
's documentary, '' Comandante'' (2003).[
Iglesias garnered his first Oscar nomination for his score in ]Fernando Meirelles
Fernando Ferreira Meirelles (; born 9 November 1955) is a Brazilian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for co-directing the film ''City of God (2002 film), City of God'', released in 2002 in Brazil and in 2003 in the Un ...
's film adaptation of '' The Constant Gardener'' (2005).[ Iglesias also composed the score for '' The Kite Runner'' (2007), based on Khaled Hosseini's 2003 novel of the same name.][ Iglesias earned his second Oscar nomination for that score.][
In 2008, Iglesias composed ]Steven Soderbergh
Steven Andrew Soderbergh ( ; born January 14, 1963) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, and editor. A pioneer of modern Independent film, independent cinema, Soderbergh later drew acclaim for formally inventiv ...
's 2008 two-part biopic, '' Che'' (2008), starring Benicio del Toro
Benicio Monserrate Rafael del Toro Sánchez (; born February 19, 1967) is a Puerto Rico, Puerto Rican actor. List of awards and nominations received by Benicio del Toro, His accolades include an Academy Awards, Academy Award, a British Academy ...
as Che Guevara
Ernesto "Che" Guevara (14th May 1928 – 9 October 1967) was an Argentines, Argentine Communist revolution, Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and Military theory, military theorist. A majo ...
.
That same year, Iglesias composed the music for Tomas Alfredson
Hans Christian Tomas Alfredson (born 1 April 1965) is a Swedish film director who is best known internationally for directing the 2008 vampire film '' Let the Right One In'' and 2011 espionage film '' Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy''. Alfredson has ...
's film adaptation of '' Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'', starring Gary Oldman
Sir Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility and intense acting style, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Gary Oldman, various accolades, including an Academ ...
as George Smiley. Iglesias told the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'': "(Alfredson) explained to me very well what this film is about. It's a film about loyalties and human relationships. Their spies are victims of this moment. That was the most important thing he told me. The film and the music show the more human side." He received his third Oscar nomination for the latter film.
Work
Film
Ballet
Iglesias composed the musical score for four ballets produced by Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato and the Spanish National Dance Company.
* 1992 – ''Cautiva''
* 1994 – ''Tabulae''
* 1995 – ''Cero sobre Cero''
* 1997 – ''Self''
Awards and nominations
See also
* List of Spanish Academy Award winners and nominees
This is a list of Spanish people, Spanish Academy Award winners and nominees. This list details the performances of filmmakers, actors, actresses and films that have either been submitted, nominated or have won an Academy Award. The people inclu ...
References
External links
Alberto Iglesias Official Site
*
"ALBERTO IGLESIAS San Sebastián (Spain) 1955"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iglesias, Alberto
1955 births
20th-century Spanish classical composers
20th-century male composers
20th-century Spanish male musicians
21st-century Spanish classical composers
21st-century Spanish male musicians
European Film Award for Best Composer winners
Living people
Spanish male film score composers
Spanish film score composers
Spanish male classical composers