Dario Marianelli

Dario Marianelli, yeah, the guy from Pisa who’s basically a wizard with a piano. He kicked off his music journey in Florence and then hopped over to London, sharpening his skills in both places. After some time at the Guildhall School, he took a deeper dive into film and TV scores, hitting his stride post-1997. Now, this dude’s list of film scores is just wild—think “Paddington 2,” “Darkest Hour,” “Kubo and the Two Strings,” “Everest,” “The Boxtrolls,” “Anna Karenina,” “Jane Eyre,” “Eat Pray Love,” “Atonement,” “V for Vendetta,” and “Pride and Prejudice.” Name a genre, he’s probably nailed it. Marianelli’s not just about movies, though. He’s written pieces for heavy-hitter orchestras like the BBC Symphony and London Philharmonic, plus he’s done vocal works for the BBC Singers and even ballet music. The awards shelf? Pretty stacked—he snagged an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and an Ivor Novello for “Atonement.” Toss in a Classical Brit, World Soundtrack Award, and loads of nominations for “Pride & Prejudice” and “Anna Karenina.” The guy’s a magnet for awards. He keeps things fresh too. Scored “The Boxtrolls,” “Kubo and the Two Strings” (winning another Ivor Novello), and kept teaming up with director Joe Wright. Oh, and he’s got a soft spot for new stuff—his “Voyager” Violin Concerto had its big debut in Australia, and he’s written ballet for the Royal Opera House. Most recently, he’s worked on “A Boy Called Christmas” and even tackled “Pinocchio.” Basically, if you hear soaring melodies in a movie, odds are good it’s Dario on the keys.