Loading AI tools
Mark Ware Isham (born September 7, 1951) is an American musician and composer. A trumpeter and keyboardist, Isham works in a variety of genres, including jazz and electronic. He is also a prolific and acclaimed composer of film scores,[1][2] and has scored over 200 film and television productions since his debut in 1983.
Isham is a nine-time Grammy Award nominee, winning Best New Age Album for his 1990 self-titled album. He was nominated for an Academy Award for A River Runs Through It (1992), and a Golden Globe Award for Nell (1994). He has also been nominated for six Primetime Emmy Awards, winning Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music for EZ Streets.
| External image | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Mark Isham[3]. |
Isham was born in New York City,[4] the son of Patricia (née Hammond), a violinist, and Howard Fuller Isham, a professor of humanities.[5] He studied trumpet from a very young age, and made his professional debut at the age of 12. When he was a teenager, Isham and his family moved to the San Francisco bay area, where he played with the Oakland East Bay Symphony.
His discography is extensive and varied, including participation with artists including David Sylvian, Group 87, Art Lande, Pharoah Sanders, Van Morrison, David Torn, and sessions with people like Brian Wilson, Joni Mitchell, Terry Bozzio, Bill Bruford, XTC,[4] and Siouxsie Sioux.[6] His musical styles include crossover jazz, post-bop, ambient, progressive electronic, chamber jazz, and new age.[7]
Film and television scores
He is also a film composer, having worked on numerous films and television series, including The Hitcher, Point Break, A River Runs Through It, Of Mice and Men, Warrior, Nell, Blade, Crash, The Black Dahlia, The Lucky One, October Sky, and Once Upon a Time.
Isham acted as well in Made in Heaven by Alan Rudolph (1987) and directed The Cowboy and the Ballerina in 1998.
Isham is married to Donna Isham.[8] He is a Scientologist.[9][8]
Studio albums and compilations
Rabbit Ears Storybook Classics
Other
|
As member
As sideman
|
Films
Television series
| Year | Title | Episode(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Chicago Hope | "Pilot" | |
| 1996 | EZ Streets | 2 | |
| 1997 | Michael Hayes | "Prequel" | |
| 1997 | Nothing Sacred | TV series theme | |
| 1998 | From the Earth to the Moon | 2 | |
| 1999 | Family Law | 18 | |
| 2007 | The Black Donnellys | 18 | |
| 2008–2009 | Crash | 26 | |
| 2011–2018 | Once Upon a Time | 147 | |
| 2012 | Beauty and the Beast | "Pilot" | |
| 2013–2014 | Once Upon a Time in Wonderland | 7 | |
| 2015 | Blood & Oil | 10 | |
| 2015 | American Crime | 21 | |
| 2017 | Black Mirror | "Arkangel" | |
| 2018–2019 | Marvel's Cloak & Dagger | 20 | |
| 2019 | Godfather of Harlem | 10 | |
| 2020 | Little Fires Everywhere | 8 | |
| 2020 | Amazing Stories | "The Rift" | |
| 2021 | The Nevers | ||
| 2021 | Sex/Life | 8 | |
| 2022 | The Cleaning Lady | ||
| 2023 | Justified: City Primeval |
Documentaries and shorts
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The Times of Harvey Milk | Rob Epstein | |
| 1985 | Portraits of Anorexia | ||
| 1985 | Rabbit Ears: The Steadfast Tin Soldier | ||
| 1990 | Tibet | ||
| 1993 | Hawaii: Born in Paradise | Robert Hillmann | |
| 1993 | Hidden Hawaii | Robert Hillmann | |
| 1998 | The Blood Tide | ||
| 1999 | Galapagos | ||
| 2001 | From the Ground Up | Laura Nix | |
| 2011 | "Morning" | Dror Soref | |
| 2017 | Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982–1992 | John Ridley |
As director
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | The Cowboy and the Ballerina | Mark Isham | — |
As screenwriter
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | The Cowboy and the Ballerina | Mark Isham | — |
As actor
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Made in Heaven | Alan Rudolph | — |
Wikiwand in your browser!
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
