Filmography/Reviews | Recommendations | Biography

McKenzie in the 1990's

"My desire to compose strong melodies is one of the driving forces in my composition process. Melody is probably the part of film music that I am most attracted to. Music that is melodically strong often grabs my emotions in the most wonderful way."
-- Mark McKenzie in 1999

Many years an orchestrator for some of the most popular composers from around the globe, Mark McKenzie is quickly becoming a widely popular composer himself. When his themes from Frank and Jesse were heard in the 1996 Olympics, followed by consecutive uses of Dr Jekyll and Ms Hyde at the 1997 and 1998 Academy Awards, the demand for more information about McKenzie's career quickly followed. No stranger to the film music community, his orchestration talents have added depth to such scores as Dances With Wolves, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, and Sleepless in Seattle, as well as numerous scores by Bruce Broughton and Danny Elfman, including 1999's Sleepy Hollow.

Between 1999 and 2000, McKenzie's scores for Durango and Dragonheart II: A New Beginning have been met with endless critical acclaim. As heard in both those scores and those that came before, his talent for creating strong and memorable melodies is paramount. With scores that often feature thematically enjoyable suites, McKenzie's scores function well outside their films. Combined with his talents in melody and orchestration is his ambition to try something new in every new project he tackles. The result is almost always a lush, orchestrally vibrant composition on screen and album. A member of Hollywood's younger generation of rising artists, McKenzie's future promises to provide many splendors on screens big and small, as well as concert halls, for years to come.