Chris Bacon (composer)

Christian Paul Bacon (born March 17, 1977) is an American composer. His film scores include Alpha and Omega (2010), Source Code (2011), and Gnomeo & Juliet (2011). He was the composer for all 50 episodes of the A&E drama series Bates Motel, for which he was nominated for an Emmy Award, and also composed the music for 26 of the 32 episodes of the NBC musical drama series Smash.

Early life
Bacon was born on March 17, 1977 in Provo, Utah. As a youth he learned to play piano and saxophone, and from an early age he knew he wanted to be a film composer. He has said, "From the point that I could start thinking about what I wanted to do when I grew up... it was always to write movie music."

After graduating from high school, Bacon attended Brigham Young University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in music composition. He then moved to Los Angeles to attend USC's film scoring program, which led to an apprenticeship with renowned film composer James Newton Howard.

Bacon cites his internship with Howard as his most valuable musical training, "While I learned a ton from school, my real-world education came under James. It felt like I was on scholarship because I was being paid to learn what it means to be a film composer at the pinnacle of the industry. James gave me my first opportunities on projects that he couldn’t fully take on for a variety of reasons, and his endorsement was very comforting to producers who appreciated the work still being performed under his 'umbrella'."

Career
Bacon's solo debut as a film composer came with the 2007 Lifetime film Angels Fall, for which he composed the main theme. Bacon's first solo feature film score was the thriller Source Code.

Bacon has also contributed music to many film and TV productions, including American Hustle, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Goosebumps. Bacon's next project is the Amazon reboot of The Tick, directed by Wally Pfister.

Bacon has been nominated for two Emmy Awards: one for his work on the NBC series Smash, and the other for is work on the A&E series Bates Motel.

Personal life
Bacon and his wife Melia currently live in Los Angeles with their three children.

Filmography

 * Angels Fall (2007), composed with Stuart Michael Thomas
 * Blue Smoke (2007), composed with Stuart Michael Thomas
 * Space Chimps (2008)
 * Northern Lights (2009), composed with Stuart Michael Thomas
 * Midnight Bayou (2009), composed with Stuart Michael Thomas
 * Waking Sleeping Beauty (2009)
 * Love Ranch (2010)
 * Alpha and Omega (2010)
 * Beethoven's Christmas Adventure (2011)
 * Source Code (2011)
 * Gnomeo & Juliet (2011), composed with James Newton Howard
 * Wonder Woman (2011)
 * High Ground (2012)
 * Atlas Shrugged II: The Strike (2012)
 * The Visitant (2014)
 * Being Charlie (2015)
 * When We Rise (2017), composed with Danny Elfman
 * Snatched (2017), composed with Theodore Shapiro
 * Sherlock Gnomes (2018)