Rob Simonsen is an American composer based in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

Early life

Simonsen began playing the piano by ear at an early age. His grandmother was a voice teacher and music was around him in his family home. He later studied music at

Southern Oregon University Southern Oregon University (SOU) is a public university A public university or public college is a university or college that is in state ownership, owned by the state or receives significant government spending, public funds through a nation ...

, the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

and

Portland State University Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the following two decades ...

Career

Rob's first break into film composing was the independent feature ''Westender'' in 2003. In 2004 he teamed up with composer

Mychael Danna Mychael Danna (born September 20, 1958) is a Canadian composer of film and television scores. He won both the Golden Globe and Oscar for Best Original Score for ''Life of Pi''. He has also won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition ...

and has provided additional music and arrangements on '' Surf's Up'', '' Fracture'', ''

Moneyball ''Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game'' is a book by Michael Lewis, published in 2003, about the Oakland Athletics baseball team and its general manager Billy Beane. Its focus is the team's analytical, evidence-based, sabermetric app ...

'', and the Oscar-winning ''

Life of Pi ''Life of Pi'' is a Canadian philosophical novel by Yann Martel published in 2001. The protagonist is Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel, an Indian boy from Pondicherry, India who explores issues of spirituality and metaphysics from an early age. He ...

''. Simonsen and Danna co-wrote the score of ''

(500) Days of Summer ''500 Days of Summer'' (stylized as ''(500) Days of Summer'') is a 2009 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, and produced by Mark Waters. The film stars J ...

'', and Joss Whedon's television series ''

Dollhouse A dollhouse or doll's house is a toy home made in miniature. Since the early 20th century dollhouses have primarily been the domain of children, but their collection and crafting is also a hobby for many adults. English-speakers in North Americ ...

''. Simonsen's work includes the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,6 ...

features ''

The Way, Way Back ''The Way, Way Back'' is a 2013 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film written and directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash in their directorial debuts. It stars Liam James as Duncan, an introverted 14-year-old who goes on summer vacation to War ...

'' and ''

The Spectacular Now ''The Spectacular Now'' is a 2013 American coming-of-age romantic drama film directed by James Ponsoldt, from a screenplay written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, based on the 2008 novel of the same name by Tim Tharp. It stars Miles ...

;'' the

Lionsgate Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation, doing business as Lionsgate, is a Canadian- American entertainment company. It was formed by Frank Giustra on July 10, 1997, domiciled in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and is currently headquarter ...

feature film ''

The Age of Adaline ''The Age of Adaline'' is a 2015 American romantic fantasy film directed by Lee Toland Krieger and written by J. Mills Goodloe and Salvador Paskowitz. The film stars Blake Lively in the title role, with Michiel Huisman, Kathy Baker, Amanda C ...

''; and most recently ''

Love, Simon ''Love, Simon'' is a 2018 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Greg Berlanti, written by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger, and based on the novel '' Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda'' by Becky Albertalli. The film stars Nick Rob ...

and Stargirl.'' In 2009 he opened his own studio, and

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...

named him one of the "15 Composers Primed to Take Their Place on the A List." Simonsen's music can be heard in nearly all

iPhone 5 The iPhone 5 is a smartphone that was designed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is the 6th 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the sma ...

ads, and he appears in them as the conductor. "Red", one of his tracks for iPhone 5, has gained wide recognition. His music was featured in Coca-Cola's 2018 Super Bowl TV spot, "The Wonder of Us". On September 6, 2019, Simonsen released his first solo album, ''Rêveries'', on

Sony Masterworks Sony Music Masterworks (Sony Masterworks) is a record label, the result of a restructuring of Sony Music's classical music division. Before the acquisition of Bertelsmann's shares in the former Sony BMG, the label was known as Sony BMG Masterwo ...

Awards

* World Soundtrack Award (nomination): Discovery of the Year for ''

'', ''

'' (2013) * International Film Music Critics Award (nomination): Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure/Thriller Film for ''

Nerve A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers (called axons) in the peripheral nervous system. A nerve transmits electrical impulses. It is the basic unit of the peripheral nervous system. A nerve provides a common pathway for the ...

'' (2016)

Filmography

Films

*''Westender'' (2003) *''Two Fisted'' (2004) *''

Eve and the Fire Horse ''Eve and the Fire Horse'' is a 2005 Canadian film written and directed by Julia Kwan. It won the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and the Claude Jutra Award for the best feature film by a first-time film director in Canada. Plot ...

'' (2005) *'' Lonely Hearts'' (2006) additional music *'' Surf's Up'' (2007) additional music *'' Stone of Destiny'' (2008) additional music *''

Management Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...

'' (2008) co-composed with

*''

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus ''The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus'' is a 2009 fantasy film directed by Terry Gilliam and written by Gilliam and Charles McKeown. The film follows a travelling theatre troupe whose leader, having made a bet with the Devil, takes audience m ...

'' (2009) additional music *''

'' (2009) co-composed with

*''

All Good Things All Good Things may refer to: Music *'' All Good Things'', an American Alternative rock band formed in 2013. Albums * ''All Good Things'' (album), a 2002 album by Sissel *'' All Good Things: Jerry Garcia Studio Sessions'', a box set by Jerry Garc ...

'' (2010) *'' The Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best'' (2011) *''

'' (2011) additional music *''

The English Teacher ''The English Teacher'' is a 1945 novel written by R. K. Narayan. It is a part of a series of novels and collections of short stories set in "Malgudi". ''The English Teacher'' was preceded by ''Swami and Friends'' (1935), '' The Bachelor of Arts' ...

'' (2012) *''

LOL LOL, or lol, is an initialism for laughing out loud and a popular element of Internet slang. It was first used almost exclusively on Usenet, but has since become widespread in other forms of computer-mediated communication and even face-to- ...

'' (2012) *''The Final Member'' (2012) Documentary *''

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World ''Seeking a Friend for the End of the World'' is a 2012 American apocalyptic romantic comedy-drama film, written and directed by Lorene Scafaria, in her feature directorial debut. The film stars Steve Carell and Keira Knightley as a pair of s ...

'' (2012), composed with Jonathan Sadoff *''

Girl Most Likely ''Girl Most Likely'' is a 2012 American comedy film directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini. Based on a screenplay by Michelle Morgan, the film stars Kristen Wiig as a playwright who stages a suicide in an attempt to win back her ...

'' (2012) *''

'' (2012) additional music *''

'' (2013) *''

Wish I Was Here ''Wish I Was Here'' is a 2014 American comedy-drama film directed by Zach Braff and co-written with his brother Adam Braff. The film stars Zach Braff, Donald Faison, Josh Gad, Pierce Gagnon, Ashley Greene, Kate Hudson, Joey King, Jim Parsons, ...

'' (2014) *'' hu and Blossom'' (2014) *''

Foxcatcher ''Foxcatcher'' is a 2014 American biographical psychological sports film produced and directed by Bennett Miller. Written by E. Max Frye and Dan Futterman, the film stars Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, and Mark Ruffalo. The film's plot is loos ...

'' (2014) (additional music by

and West Dylan Thordson) *''

'' (2015) (additional music by Duncan Blickenstaff) *'' Burnt'' (2015) *'' Stonewall'' (2015) *''

'' (2016) *'' Viral'' (2016) *'' Miss Stevens'' (2016) *'' Demain tout commence'' (2016) *''

Going in Style ''Going in Style'' is a 1979 American heist comedy film written and directed by Martin Brest and starring George Burns, Art Carney, Lee Strasberg (in his final film role) and Charles Hallahan. It was Brest's first commercial feature film. Plot ...

'' (2017) *''

Gifted Intellectual giftedness is an intellectual ability significantly higher than average. It is a characteristic of children, variously defined, that motivates differences in school programming. It is thought to persist as a trait into adult life, wit ...

'' (2017) (additional music by Duncan Blickenstaff) *'' The House of Tomorrow'' (2017) *'' The Only Living Boy in New York'' (2017) (additional music by Duncan Blickenstaff) *'' The Upside'' (2017) *''

Father Figures ''Father Figures'' (known as ''Who's Your Daddy?'' in the United Kingdom) is a 2017 American comedy film directed by Lawrence Sher (in his directorial debut), written by Justin Malen, and starring Owen Wilson, Ed Helms, J.K. Simmons, Katt Wil ...

'' (2017) *'' Tully'' (2018) *''

'' (2018) *'' The Front Runner'' (2018) *''

Captive State ''Captive State'' is a 2019 American science fiction thriller film directed by Rupert Wyatt and co-written by Wyatt and Erica Beeney. The film stars John Goodman, Ashton Sanders, Jonathan Majors, Colson Baker, and Vera Farmiga, and follows a ...

'' (2019) *'' Fast Color'' (2019) *'' Our Friend'' (2019) *'' The Way Back'' (2020) *'' Stargirl'' (2020) *'' Ghostbusters: Afterlife'' (2021) *''

The Adam Project ''The Adam Project'' is a 2022 American science fiction action comedy film co-produced by Skydance Media, Maximum Effort, and 21 Laps Entertainment. It was directed by Shawn Levy from a screenplay written by Jonathan Tropper, T.S. Nowlin, Jenni ...

'' (2022) *''

Hollywood Stargirl ''Hollywood Stargirl'' is a 2022 American teen romantic drama film directed by Julia Hart from a screenplay that she co-wrote with Jordan Horowitz. The film is a sequel to the 2020 film '' Stargirl'', which was in turn based on Jerry Spinelli' ...

'' (2022) (additional music by Duncan Blickenstaff) *'' The Whale'' (2022)

Television

*''

'' (series) (2009–2010) *''

Battleground A battlefield, battleground, or field of battle is the location of a present or historic battle involving ground warfare. It is commonly understood to be limited to the point of contact between opposing forces, though battles may involve troops ...

'' (series) (2012) *'' Blue Bloods'' (series) (2010–2013) *''

Life in Pieces ''Life in Pieces'' is an American sitcom television series created by Justin Adler and which premiered on CBS on September 21, 2015 and concluded on June 27, 2019. The series was produced by 40 or 50 Years, Inc., Kapital Entertainment in associat ...

'' (series) (2015–2017)

Discography

Studio albums * ''Rêveries'' (2019)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Simonsen, Rob 1978 births American film score composers American male film score composers American television composers Living people Male television composers Portland State University alumni Southern Oregon University alumni University of Oregon alumni