Gabriel Yared

Gabriel Yared is the Lebanese- born film score composer whose best known works include Betty Blue and The English Patient.

Yared taught himself to play music in his teens and although he did go on to study law at college, his attention returned to music again when, on a visit to Brazil, an impromptu entry to a music competition won and his planned fortnight holiday extended to a year stay, during which he wrote and played music. Returning to France, he began writing and orchestrating for other artists, so popular was his work that after three years he had over three thousand pieces to his credit. This included work for a number of popular French entertainers, including Johnny Hallyday, Charles Aznavour and Mireille Mathieu. He also did work for advertising and TV.

In 1980, film director Jean Luc Godard invited him to write the score for Sauve qui peut (la vie), and since then he has principally worked on music for the cinema. An invitation from another director, Jean Jacques Beineix, to write music for Betty Blue brought him to international attention and he went on to write music for Hollywood. Amongst his credits are The Talented Mr. Ripley, City of Angels and Cold Mountain (for which he received a number of awards). He also collaborated with UK dance outfit Underworld on the soundtrack for Breaking and Entering. In addition to his work for the cinema, he has also composes ballets, and founded the Pléiade Academy to support the work of new composers.