Christopher Chiyan Tin (born May 21,1976) is an American composer of art music,composing for film,television,and video game soundtracks. His work is primarily orchestral and choral,often with a world music influence. He is a two-time Grammy Award winner.
Tin is best known for his work on title themes for the Civilization video game series,specifically the main theme Baba Yetu from the video game Civilization IV,which,at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2011,became the first piece of video game music to win a Grammy Award.[1] This Grammy win has been considered a significant milestone for the critical acceptance of music from video games,and following this win the Recording Academy retitled their visual media categories to become more inclusive of video game soundtracks,[2] before eventually creating a dedicated Grammy award for 'Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media' in 2022.[3]
Early life and education
Tin was born May 21,1976,in Palo Alto,California,to immigrant parents from Hong Kong.[4] He attended Stanford University,and had a brief period as an exchange student at the University of Oxford. He double majored in music composition and English literature,and minored in art history.[5][6] In his time at university,he supplemented his studies by participating in various jazz,musical theatre,and world music student groups.[7] Tin graduated in 1998,receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors,and continued to study at Stanford,receiving an Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities,with an emphasis in film studies,in 1999.[8]
In 1999,Tin was admitted to the Royal College of Music's Master of Music in Composition for Screen program,and simultaneously received a Fulbright Scholarship,which was the first to be awarded for film scoring.[5] There,he studied composition with Joseph Horovitz,orchestration with Julian Anderson,and conducting with Neil Thomson. He graduated with Distinction and won the Joseph Horovitz composition prize as the student with the highest overall marks in his course.[8]
Career
Early career (2000–2005)
While a student at the Royal College of Music,Tin completed his first commission,the string quartet Lacrymosa,for the U.S. Embassy in London.[5] Tin found his first professional employment as a staff arranger for Silva Screen Records,where his job was to transcribe orchestral film scores (by John Williams,James Horner,John Barry,and others) by ear so they could be rerecorded by live orchestra for album release.[9]
In 2000,Tin moved to Los Angeles and continued to arrange scores for Silva Screen Records while searching for more permanent employment.[8] His first internship was with Hans Zimmer.[8] Tin found freelance work with composers Joel McNeely,who hired him to make synthesized mockups of his film scores for a series of Disney films,and John Ottman,who gave him incidental music to write for X2:X-Men United.[10] He also worked for record producer Michael Brook,who took him to India on tour as a keyboardist.[11]
In 2003,Tin participated in the Sundance Institute Film Music Lab,[12] where he met jazz pianist Billy Childs. Childs referred Tin for his first composing job,which was scoring a documentary for New York Times Television.[13] This led to a period of writing music for New York-based documentary filmmakers (notably Deborah Dickson) and advertising clients (notably Puma).[10][14]
Christopher Tin rehearses the Golden State Pops Orchestra, 2011
Tin's biggest break came in 2005, when video game designer Soren Johnson, Tin's former roommate at Stanford, asked him to compose the theme song for Civilization IV.[15] In response, Tin composed "Baba Yetu" for the main theme, a choral, Swahili version of the Lord's Prayer recorded by his former a cappella group, Stanford Talisman.[16] The song was widely praised, with over 20 reviewers of the game singling out the theme on game review websites such as IGN and GameSpy.[17] The song's first live performance was on September 21, 2006, at the Hollywood Bowl as part of a Video Games Live concert, where it featured Stanford Talisman and was conducted by Jack Wall.[18]
"Baba Yetu" is one of the most decorated pieces of video game music, holding the distinction of being the first piece of music written for a video game to be both nominated for,[37] and win,[38] a Grammy Award (at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in the "Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)" category). Additionally, it won Tin two Game Audio Network Guild Awards in 2006,[39] as well as winning him two awards in the 10th Annual Independent Music Awards ("Best Song Used in Film/TV/Multimedia" and "Best World Beat Song").[40] It also entered Tin into the Guinness Book of World Records as the composer of the first video game theme to win a Grammy Award.[1]
In 2009, Tin released his classical crossover album Calling All Dawns. The album is a song-cycle in three uninterrupted movements: Day, Night, and Dawn (corresponding to life, death, and rebirth). The twelve songs are sung in twelve languages, including Swahili, Polish, French, Persian, and Maori. The lyrics are taken from diverse sources, including the Torah, the Bhagavad Gita, Persian and Japanese poetry, and lyrics by contemporary writers. Appropriate vocal traditions are used in the performance of each song, and include African gospel, Beijing opera, medieval chants, and Irish keening.[41]
Tin had never intended the work to be performed live, however, many ensembles have performed it in this manner. The first concert was given by Derek Machan and the Waterford Union High School chorus in Waterford, Wisconsin.[45] Subsequently, on April 7, 2013, New York-based concert promoters Distinguished Concerts International New York did the first of multiple large-scale productions at the Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, conducted by Jonathan Griffith and featuring original album artists Anonymous 4, Ron Ragin, Shayok Misha Chowdhury and Roopa Mahadevan.[20] On July 19, 2016, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra performed excerpts with the combined Angel City Chorale, Prima Vocal Ensemble and Lucis choirs at Cadogan Hall in London.[26] On July 5, 2017, at the 70th Anniversary of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, Tin himself conducted the entire work with the Welsh National Opera Orchestra and a group of international soloists, including Elin Manahan Thomas, Nathalie Pires, Joel Virgel, and Nominjin, and a mass choir made up of singers from Wales, South Africa, Taiwan, and the United States.[28] The concert was filmed and subsequently broadcast on Welsh television station S4C.[46]
Tin centered his first tour around the work, conducting it in three cities in the UK. The European premiere was given on July 16, 2016, at the Barbican in York, with the Mowbray Orchestra and combined Angel City Chorale and Prima Vocal Ensemble choirs,[49] followed by concerts at the Harrogate Music Festival, and in London with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.[26]
Sogno di Volare (2016)
Tin returned to the Civilization franchise to compose the main theme for Civilization VI, a choral anthem called "Sogno di Volare" (The Dream of Flight). The text for the song is commonly, yet erroneously, attributed to Leonardo da Vinci's writings on flight.[50] Tin explained in a statement that he hoped the piece would capture the "essence of exploration; both the physical exploration of seeking new lands, but also the mental exploration of expanding the frontiers of science and philosophy."[51] The piece was given its world premiere in concert on July 19, 2016, at London's Cadogan Hall, conducted by Tin and performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Angel City Chorale, Lucis and Prima Vocal Ensemble combined choirs.[26]
Tin released his third album, To Shiver the Sky, in August 2020 on the Decca Gold label.[52] Following in the same style as his previous albums, the eleven tracks have lyrics in multiple languages based on existing texts. The album has a theme of the history of aviation, expanding from "Sogno di Volare". It was funded through Kickstarter in 2018, becoming the highest funded classical music project on Kickstarter.[53]
The album, like The Drop That Contained the Sea, was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, with Tin conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and features guest performances by Danielle de Niese, Pene Pati, ModernMedieval Voices, Anna Lapwood, the Pembroke College Girls' Choir, the Royal Opera Chorus, and The Assembly.
Tin’s fourth album, titled The Lost Birds, was released on September 30, 2022, on the Decca Classics label, debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard Classical Charts.[55][56] It was subsequently nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Classical Compendium.[57] The album is a musical memorial to bird species driven to extinction by humankind and a celebration of their beauty, while also presenting a warning about humanity's own tenuous existence on the planet.[58] It consists of twelve movements, ten of which use texts by poets Emily Dickinson, Sara Teasdale, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Cristina Rossetti, along with two purely instrumental tracks.[58] Unlike Tin’s previous works, all movements of the piece are sung in English.[59] The album was funded once again via Kickstarter, and Tin broke his own record for highest funded classical music project on the platform.[60]
The Lost Birds features popular British ensemble VOCES8 and Tin’s longtime collaborators the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. It was recorded in two parts; the vocal elements of the album were recorded first at the VOCES8 Centre, conducted by Barnaby Smith, while the instrumental elements were recorded at Abbey Road Studios, conducted by Tin. This allowed better balance between the choir and the orchestra.[59]
The Lost Birds was premiered virtually by VOCES8 as part of their 'LIVE from London' series on October 15, 2022, featuring The VOCES8 Foundation Choir and Orchestra, with Barnaby Smith conducting.[61] The work’s live premiere occurred on February 25, 2023, at Stanford University, with Tin conducting VOCES8 and the VOCES8 Foundation Scholars, and featuring a reduced chamber orchestration performed by the Friction Quartet and pianist Keisuke Nakagoshi.[62]
Turandot (2024)
Tin's foray into opera came about when director Francesca Zambello, Artistic Director of Washington National Opera, heard his music coming from her teenage son's bedroom. Confused as to why her son was listening to classical music, she discovered that he had in fact been playing Civilization VI, which features Tin's piece "Sogno di Volare". She then reached out to Tin, and invited him to meet with her in San Francisco.[63]
Tin and Stanton's new ending premiered at the Kennedy Center on May 11, 2024, and sold out its entire run prior to opening night.[65] The reviews were very positive:[66] Michael Andor Brodeur of The Washington Post called the production 'refreshing' and declared "Even without the new ending — and Tin’s splendid musical additions, which draw sensibly from Puccini’s score while applying an entirely new emotional finish — Zambello’s "Turandot" crackles with fresh energy".[67] Heidi Waleson of The Wall Street Journal wrote that the new ending "fits the opera neatly. Its sound and attitude, while contemporary, grow organically from Puccini’s original, like a savvy modern addition on a historic building."[68]
Collaborative projects
In 2009, Tin and multi-instrumentalist and producer Shoji Kameda formed a Los Angeles-based production duo, Stereo Alchemy. Their debut album God of Love was released on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2012. It featured a variety of Renaissance and Romantic era poems (from Thomas Carew, Christina Rossetti, and John Donne, among others) reinvented as lyrics for trip hop and synth pop songs.[69]
In 2015, Tin composed the orchestral arrangements for trance artist BT's remix album Electronic Opus.[70]
In 2017, Tin announced an EDM-meets-orchestra collaboration with Australian DJ TyDi called Collide. Their first single "Closing In", featuring vocals by Dia Frampton, was released October 6, 2017.[71]
Tin collaborated with Lang Lang on the 2016 release of a piano and orchestra suite of music from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.[72] Additionally, Tin has collaborated with Danny Elfman and Alan Menken.[73]
Tin has received commissions by Stratus Chamber Orchestra, Bangor Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra at St. Matthew's and ISCMS Festival. He also co-created the startup sound for the original Microsoft Surface computing platform.[74]
Tin arranged a number of jazz tunes for 2018 film 'Crazy Rich Asians', with one being based on the Chinese melody, When Will You Return?. This arrangement was chosen by director Jon M. Chu and Warner Brothers to open the film.[75]
Tin's other film credits include writing additional music for Sausage Party (2016), Suddenly Seventeen (2016), Tess (2016), Dante's Inferno (2010),Dead Space: Aftermath (2011), Hoodwinked Too! Hood Vs. Evil (2011) and X2: X-Men United (2003).[76]
Television appearances
Tin was a judge on the 2017 season of the Welsh TV show Côr Cymru, a singing competition for amateur choirs airing on Welsh-language channel S4C.[77]
Other positions
Tin is Honorary Artistic Director of the United Nations Chamber Music Society, Honorary President of the International Choral Festival Wales,[74] and is a patron of El Sistema France.[78] He is also an honorary board member of the Chinese American Museum DC.[79]
Personal life
Tin married Dyna Kau in 2013 and they have a daughter together, Penelope Rose, born in 2018.[80]
Awards
GRAMMY Awards
Year
Category
Work
Result
Ref
2023
Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media
The 19th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 19, 1977, and were broadcast live on American television (CBS). It was the seventh and final year Andy Williams hosted the telecast. The ceremony recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1976.
The 9th Annual Grammy Awards were held on March 2, 1967, at Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville and New York. They recognized accomplishments of musicians for the year 1966. The 9th Grammy Awards is notable for not presenting the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Frank Sinatra won 5 awards.
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Soren Johnson is an American businessman, game programmer, and video game designer. Johnson's games primarily belong to 4X strategy, with a number of his titles having been critically acclaimed. He is best known for his work as a lead designer on Civilization IV, Offworld Trading Company, and Old World. He also worked on Civilization III as a co-lead designer.
David Lang is an American composer living in New York City. Co-founder of the musical collective Bang on a Can, he was awarded the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Music for The Little Match Girl Passion, which went on to win a 2010 Grammy Award for Best Small Ensemble Performance by Paul Hillier and Theatre of Voices. Lang was nominated for an Academy Award for "Simple Song #3" from the film Youth.
Hila Plitmann is an Israeli-American two-time Grammy Award-winning operatic soprano, songwriter, and actress specializing in the performance of new works.
Video Games Live (VGL) is a concert series created by Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall. The concerts consist of segments of video game music performed by a live orchestra with video footage and synchronized lighting and effects, as well as several interactive segments with the audience. Incorporated in 2002, Video Games Live has performed over 500 shows internationally.
"Baba Yetu" is the theme song for the 2005 video game Civilization IV. It was composed by Christopher Tin and performed by Ron Ragin and the Stanford Talisman. For its re-release in Tin's debut album Calling All Dawns, it was performed by the Soweto Gospel Choir. The song, when rereleased, became the first piece of video game music to be nominated for and to win a Grammy Award.
Cedille Records is the independent record label of the Chicago Classical Recording Foundation.
Angel City Chorale (ACC) is a Los Angeles choir conducted by founder and artistic director Sue Fink.
Pablo Ziegler is a Grammy Awards winning Argentine composer, pianist, arranger based in New York City. He is an exponent of nuevo tango, and has worked extensively as Ástor Piazzolla's regular pianist from 1978 until Piazzolla's retirement for health reasons in 1989. During their collaboration, they performed with Milva, Placido Domingo, Gary Burton among others. He played with Piazzolla's re-formed Conjunto 9 in 1983 for his Teatro Colón concert with the Buenos Aires Philharmonic. In 1985 Ziegler composed the music for the film Adios Roberto, and in 1990, he established the New Tango Quartet.
Voces8, styled VOCES8, is an a cappella octet from England. They have appeared internationally and made recordings of classical music, jazz, pop, and their own arrangements. Recent recordings are for Decca Classics and under their own label, Voces8 Records. Educational efforts are run by the Voces8 Foundation.
The Soweto Gospel Choir is a South African gospel group.
Stanford Talisman is a student a cappella group at Stanford University, dedicated to sharing stories through music. Started in 1990 by Stanford student Joseph Pigato, their roots are in music from South Africa and the African diaspora, but they have since broadened their horizons to include music from all over the world. They perform not only locally in the greater San Francisco Bay Area but also around the world. Their most recent tour was to Mumbai and Udaipur, India, in spring of 2019. The group has also traveled to South Africa (2016) and Hawai'i (2018). The group won the 1997 ICCA competition and notable performances include the 1996 Olympic Games, the White House, with 10-time Grammy award winner Bobby McFerrin in 2005 and 2019, with Seal in 2009, with Joan Baez in 2019, annually at Stanford Graduation Baccalaureate, and their sold-out 25th Anniversary Show in Bing Concert Hall in 2015.
Grant Gershon is a Grammy Award winning American conductor and pianist. He is Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Master Chorale, formerly Resident Conductor of the Los Angeles Opera, member of the Board of Councillors for the USC Thornton School of Music and a former member of the Chorus America Board of Directors.
Calling All Dawns is a classical crossover album by Christopher Tin released in 2009. The album won two Grammys at the 53rd Grammy Awards for Best Classical Crossover Album and Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) for the song "Baba Yetu", the theme for the 2005 video game Civilization IV. The win marks the first time in history that a Grammy has been awarded to a composition written for a video game.
Sue Fink is an American singer, songwriter, conductor, and voice teacher.
The music in the Civilization video game series has been composed by various composers.
The Lost Birds: An Extinction Elegy is the fourth studio album by the American composer Christopher Tin. The music was performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Voces8.
The Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media was first presented at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards held in February 2023. The award was introduced to recognize the impact of music specifically written for video games and other interactive media. This is a sister category to the Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, which previously honored scores written for film, television and video games, though Journey in 2013 was the only game ever nominated.
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