Inon ZurDeveloper BIO
Inon Zur (www.inonzur.com) composes and produces award-winning dramatic orchestral music for best-selling computer and videogame productions. In February 2003, Zur’s music for Icewind Dale II was nominated for 2002 Music of the Year Award by the Game Audio Network Guild and 2002 Soundtrack of the Year Award by Game Industry News. His work has received rave reviews throughout the media, including GameSpot who described his music as “a stirring, impressive symphonic soundtrack filled with soaring strings…Inon Zur does a truly fantastic job”. Furthermore Zur has been honored by G4 TV for excellence in cinematic music for games and his orchestral score for Baldur’s Gate II was voted by viewers as one of the Top Ten Best Soundtracks of all time.
Zur’s emotionally charged music captivates gaming audiences worldwide and he is recognized as one of the most critically acclaimed “A” list composers of music for games, providing consistently innovative and memorable film-score quality soundtracks for leading studios such as Sony, Infogrames, Interplay, Microids, and Bioware. His credits feature major releases: War And Peace (Microids), Lionheart (Black Isle Studios/Reflexive/Interplay), Crusader Kings (Paradox/Strategy First), Run Like Hell-shared credit (Digital Mayhem/Interplay/Vivendi-Universal), Icewind Dale II (Black Isle Studios/Interplay), Baldur’s Gate II: Throne of Bhaal (Bioware/Black Isle Studios/Interplay), Fallout Tactics (14th East/MicroForte/Interplay), Star Trek: Starfleet Command Volume II: Empires At War (14th East/Interplay), Star Trek: New Worlds (14th East/Interplay), Star Trek: Klingon Academy (14th East/Interplay/Paramount).
Utilizing synthesizers and samples to conjure the emotion and power of a live symphony orchestra, Zur writes pulsating original scores with the highest production values, equal in quality to blockbuster movie soundtracks, but at far less fixed and residual cost. When he was denied the necessary budget and time to employ a full orchestra for Interplay’s epic adventure title Icewind Dale II, Zur recorded only a handful of live players to emulate a full symphonic sound worthy of the silver screen. A bonus disc featuring music from the game is included with the Collector’s Edition.
Adam Levenson, Audio Director on Icewind Dale II for Interplay Entertainment Corp., said, “Inon has consistently created music that is emotionally dynamic, masterfully orchestrated, and ingeniously produced. His ability to stretch his stylistic range, and instantly respond to challenging direction is astounding. Inon is simply the most professional and prolific composer we have ever worked with.” Furthermore, Doug Avery, Producer at Black Isle Studios, asserted, “Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal music composer Inon Zur has done a tremendous job in capturing exactly the mood we want for the game [Lionheart]".
Zur’s expertise not only allows him to create scores that sound like an 80-piece orchestra but producing the music in this fashion gives directors the opportunity to make last minute changes in their soundtracks. Zur also brings extensive experience composing for, conducting and recording with live orchestra, including the Seattle Symphony, Salt Lake City Symphony and Tel Aviv Symphony, as well as recording world-class players at Fox Family Music Studios in LA and the Eblana Chamber Choir in Dublin, Ireland.
Zur is a graduate of the Music Academy of Tel Aviv in Israel and moved to Los Angeles to study music at the Dick Grove School of Music and UCLA where he studied under such luminaries as Jack Smalley, Alan Ferguson and Henry Mancini. Zur currently lives and works in Los Angeles, California and is represented by Bob Rice of Four Bars Intertainment (408) 364 9851. More information is available online at www.inonzur.com
Websites
Games CreditedDark Sector (2008), D3Publisher of America, Inc.
Fallout 3 (2008), Bethesda Softworks LLC
Twisted Metal: Head-On (Extra Twisted Edition) (2008), Sony Computer Entertainment America, Inc.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Soulstorm (2008), THQ Inc.
Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts (2007), THQ Inc.
Crysis (2007), Electronic Arts, Inc.
EverQuest II: Echoes of Faydwer (2006), Sony Online Entertainment Inc.
Neverwinter Nights 2 (2006), Atari, Inc.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow (2006), Bethesda Softworks LLC
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade (2006), THQ Inc.
Champions: Return to Arms (2005), Sony Online Entertainment Inc.
Combat: Task Force 121 (2005), Groove Games
Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows (2005), Midway Home Entertainment, Inc.
Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones (2005), Ubisoft Entertainment SA
Twisted Metal: Head-On (2005), SCEA
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Winter Assault (2005), THQ Inc.
Champions of Norrath (2004), Sony Online Entertainment Inc.
Crusader Kings (2004), PAN Vision
Men of Valor (2004), Vivendi Universal Games, Inc.
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within (2004), Ubisoft, Inc.
Shadow Ops: Red Mercury (2004), Atari, Inc.
Syberia II (2004), XS Games, LLC
Syberia (The Collector's Edition) (2004), MC2-Microïds
Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader (2003), Interplay Entertainment Corp.
SOCOM II: U.S. Navy SEALs (2003), SCEA
Icewind Dale II (2002), Interplay Entertainment Corp.
Run Like Hell (2002), Interplay Entertainment Corp.
Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal (2001), Interplay Entertainment Corp.
Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel (2001), Interplay Entertainment Corp.
Star Trek: Starfleet Command: Orion Pirates (2001), Interplay Entertainment Corp.
Star Trek: Klingon Academy (2000), Interplay Entertainment Corp.
Star Trek: New Worlds (2000), Interplay Entertainment Corp.
Star Trek: Starfleet Command Volume II - Empires at War (2000), Interplay Entertainment Corp.
