Deborah Lurie

A strikingly versatile and critically acclaimed rising voice on the Hollywood music scene, composer Deborah Lurie has quickly become known for strongly thematic and memorable scores that impart unique character to a wide array of styles—from symphonic music to hard rock. Raised in Palo Alto, Calif., Lurie enjoyed a childhood immersed in the arts—from modern dance and theater to composition and classical/jazz piano—that eventually led to innovative projects like an original score to her high school’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream. ” Music has always been a visual experience for Lurie. She was born with perfect pitch as well as a rare condition called synesthesia, which allows her to identify every note by seeing a specific, corresponding color in her mind’s eye—and won her a childhood nickname as Palo Alto’s “human pitchpipe.” She became fully aware of these talents in the tenth grade while excelling at music theory—a newly “academic” subject she had largely taught herself with colors since she had heard her first scale. It was immediately evident that Lurie wouldn’t just continue to pursue music out of passion, but make a career in sound, too. Towards that end, Lurie studied composition at USC, graduating with the music composition departmental award in 1997 and soon winning attention for scores to short films like the celebrated “George Lucas in Love.” In the years following, Lurie worked as an orchestrator on studio films like “The X-Files” and “X-Men 2,” and as a composer, for additional music on “Bubble Boy” and “View From The Top.