In a career spanning over two decades, award winning composer Edward Shearmur has demonstrated his ability to fuse contemporary recording techniques with sophisticated compositional approaches. Known for his musical versatility, Ed has worked in every genre imaginable from high grossing blockbuster comedies to indie dramas. Shearmur is noted for his collaborations with acclaimed filmmakers: McG (Charlie’s Angels, Uglies), Roger Kumble (Cruel Intentions, College Road Trip, Furry Vengeance), Kevin Reynolds (The Count of Monte Cristo), Kerry Conrad (Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow), Rob Bowman (Reign of Fire), Les Mayfield (Blue Streak), Peter Howitt (Johnny English, Laws of Attraction), Garry Winick (Bride Wars), Peter Bogdanovich (She’s Funny That Way), and Richard Linklater (Bad News Bears).
Shearmur’s breakout score for Iain Softley’s The Wings Of The Dove catapulted him to success, which led to scoring one of the most popular franchises of the early 21st century: Charlie’s Angels, along with the cult classic Cruel Intentions, and the infamous comedy Miss Congeniality. Shearmur’s epic orchestral writing can be heard in The Count Of Monte Cristo directed by Kevin Reynolds, Paramount Pictures’ Sky Captain and The World Of Tomorrow, the Reign Of Fire starring Christian Bale, and legendary director Peter Bogdanovich’s final feature She’s Funny That Way.
Poignant, independent dramas are another important part of Shearmur’s output. His collaborations with the esteemed writer/director Rodrigo Garcia began with the chamber score he wrote for Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her to his heartfelt scores for films such as Nine Lives, Passengers, Mother And Child, Four Good Days. In addition to his collaboration with Rodrigo Garcia, Shearmur recently scored Paula Ortiz’ independent drama Across The River And Into The Trees. His hybrid scores for films such as K-PAX, Abduction, and The Skeleton Key all relied heavily on sonic manipulation combined with textural orchestral writing.
Shearmur’s work in television is equally expansive. He won an Emmy for his theme for the series Masters Of Horror as well as an Emmy nomination for Ben Stiller’s Escape At Dannemora. He scored all four seasons of Marc Cherry’s Devious Maids and most recently wrote propulsive music for the documentary series Man In The Arena. Shearmur has written much concert music as well, most recently completing the large scale orchestral work In Blackwater Woods.
Shearmur began his career in London working alongside with the legendary Michael Kamen. During his time in the UK, he was high in demand as a keyboardist and arranger, collaborating with such artists as Annie Lennox, Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, Kirsty MacColl, electronic pioneers Coldcut, Gary Kemp and many others. In the mid nineties, he began a three year collaboration with Led Zeppelin legends Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, acting as both keyboardist and musical director for their epic No Quarter tour.