Steven Price

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Steven Price – Life, Career, and Memorable Insights

Learn about Steven Price — the British composer (born 1977) behind the Oscar-winning Gravity score. Explore his journey, filmography, style, and lessons from his musical career.

Introduction

Steven Price is a British film composer whose work has resonated globally. He is best known for composing the score for Gravity (2013), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Original Score.

Though he may not be a “pop musician” in the conventional sense, his contributions to film music and scoring make him a highly influential figure in contemporary cinematic soundtracks.

Early Life and Background

• Date of Birth & Nationality
  Steven Price was born on 22 April 1977 in Nottingham, England.

• Musical Foundations
  He started playing guitar from the age of five, nurturing an early passion for music. He later pursued formal studies and earned a First Class degree in Music from Emmanuel College, Cambridge.

These early experiences laid a foundation for his later work in scoring, arranging, and composing in film contexts.

Career and Achievements

Early Career & Apprenticeship

Before becoming the principal composer, Price gained experience in various supporting roles in film music:

• He worked at the London studio of Andy Gill (from Gang of Four) contributing programming, string arrangements, and playing on albums.

• He spent a formative period apprenticed with film composer Trevor Jones, contributing additional music to projects such as Thirteen Days, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Around the World in 80 Days, Dinotopia, and Crossroads (on which he was the featured guitar soloist with the London Symphony Orchestra).

• Price moved into the role of music editor, working under established composers. Notably, he was music editor on The Lord of the Rings films (with Howard Shore) and later on Batman Begins.

• He also contributed additional music to Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, collaborating with Nigel Godrich.

This blend of hands-on arranging, editing, and collaboration gave him a deep understanding of how sound and image interact in cinema.

Breakthrough & Signature Work

• First Main Film Score
  Price’s first credited full film score was for Attack the Block (2011), a sci-fi / urban fantasy film.

• Gravity & Recognition
  His breakout recognition came with Gravity (2013), directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Price’s score earned him the Academy Award for Best Original Score. In addition, the score won him BAFTA and Critics’ Choice awards.

• Subsequent Film & TV Projects
  After Gravity, Price took on a series of high-profile projects, including:

  • Fury (2014)

  • Suicide Squad (2016)

  • Baby Driver

  • Last Night in Soho, My Policeman

  • Documentary / nature scoring: Our Planet, The Hunt, David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet

  • Others: Ophelia, The Aeronauts, Archive, Beast, Over the Moon

  He has also composed for television series such as Believe.

• Awards & Honors

  • Academy Award for Gravity

  • BAFTA (for original music)

  • Emmy Award (for documentary work)

  • Various critics' awards for Gravity

Style and Musical Approach

• Story-driven scoring
  Price emphasizes that his approach is not just about writing music, but telling stories through sound that support and deepen the film’s imagery and emotion.

• Textural & orchestral experimentation
  He incorporates unusual sound choices—for example, in Fury, using WW2 tank sounds as percussive elements.

• Adaptive orchestration per genre
  In documentary and nature projects (Our Planet, The Hunt), he tailors his musical voice to environments — forest, ocean, wilderness — making the score feel intrinsically tied to the visuals.

• Collaboration & integration
  Price works closely with filmmakers and other departments (sound, editing) to integrate music seamlessly, rather than as an afterthought.

Legacy and Influence

Steven Price has become a respected name in contemporary film scoring. His influence includes:

• Showing that modern film scores can balance innovation, daring textures, and emotional resonance.

• Demonstrating that composers can shift between blockbuster, indie, and documentary work with integrity.

• Inspiring up-and-coming composers to think beyond conventional orchestration, to incorporate ambient, environmental, and synthetic sound.

• Highlighting the importance of narrative sensitivity in music, especially in nature-based documentaries where music must respond not just to characters but to landscapes and rhythms of the planet.

Quotes & Insights

Steven Price doesn’t have a large corpus of famous quotes as a public figure (compared to writers or politicians), but some notable insights and statements include:

• On Our Planet, he said:

  “Everything always had to feel like it belonged to the images … the colors and the feel of each biome … required a different way of thinking musically.”

• Also about climate and emotion:

  “We didn’t want people to come away feeling the situation is hopeless … finding a way to strike the right balance musically was something I spent a lot of time on.”

These reflect his sensitivity to visuals, emotion, and purpose in his crafting of scores.

Lessons from Steven Price’s Career

1. Patience and apprenticeship matter
   His years doing editing, programming, additional music helped him build the craft, network, and credibility before stepping into lead composer roles.

2. Tell the story, don’t overwrite it
   Great film music supports — it doesn’t dominate. Price’s scores often stay in service of the director’s vision.

3. Adaptability is a strength
   Switching between genres (sci-fi, war, documentary, fantasy) shows that musical identity need not be rigid.

4. Sound design and texture are tools
   Using unconventional instruments or sound sources can elevate a score beyond standard orchestral palette.

5. Emotional responsibility in documentary work
   When dealing with real-world themes (like climate change), musical choices carry moral weight—they can uplift, warn, or despair. Striking balance is essential.

Conclusion

Steven Price is a composer whose journey from guitarist to apprentice to Oscar laureate illustrates how craft, curiosity, and narrative sensitivity can lead to lasting impact. His body of work spans blockbusters to nature documentaries, always seeking to serve the story.