James Hannigan

For the Roman Catholic bishop, see James Hannigan (bishop).
James Hannigan
Background information
Born (1971-07-23) July 23, 1971
Occupation(s) Composer, musician, producer
Years active 1992–present
Website http://www.jameshannigan.com/

James Hannigan (born 23 July 1971) is a multiple award winning British composer and music producer. His work has included single or multiple entries in the multi-million selling Command & Conquer, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Dead Space, Warhammer, Space Hulk, Grand Prix and Theme Park game series; video games including The Transformers Universe, Freelancer, RuneScape 3, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Red Alert 3, Republic: The Revolution, Evil Genius, Sim Theme Park, Wing Commander: Privateer 2: The Darkening, Conquest, Nintendo's Art Academy, Reign of Fire and others, along with television such as BBC America’s Primeval. He has also contributed music to EA Sports titles, such as those belonging to the FIFA and F1 series and his music has been heard in games such as Super Smash Bros. Wii U and Saints Row 4. In the earlier years of his career, Hannigan was based at Pinewood Studios where he sometimes worked as a Sound Designer on films alongside composing. James Hannigan's other music credits include the Dirk Maggs directed dramas, Alien: Out of the Shadows and the acclaimed BBC Radio 4 adaptations of Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens and Neverwhere.

James Hannigan's Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 theme, Soviet March, is one of the best-known video game themes in history, garnering tens of millions of plays on YouTube and other streaming services.

Awards

Hannigan's music scores have been nominated five times by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and he won a BAFTA Award with Electronic Arts in 2000 for Sim Theme Park (UK title: Theme Park World). In 2010 his score for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince received a BAFTA nomination[1] and won an International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) award.[2] Most recently, in 2014, Hannigan was nominated for a Develop Award for his work on Runescape 3.

Game Music Connect

In 2013 James Hannigan founded popular yearly conference Game Music Connect with friend and fellow composer and industry commentator John Broomhall, which has been described by UK radio station Classic FM as "The games music event of the year". Held each year at London’s Southbank Centre, the event has been sponsored by Sony, Bafta, Electronic Arts, COOL Music and others, and is currently in its third year.

Written publications

In 2004, Hannigan wrote "Changing Our Tune", a cover article for the UK's Develop magazine, outlining some of the differences between scoring for games and conventional linear media forms such as film and television.[3] It was the magazine's first audio related cover feature.

In 2015 James Hannigan wrote a series of articles on video game music for Classic FM.[4]

Public performances

In 2007, a collage of Hannigan's music entitled Welcome to Hogwarts[5] was added to Video Games Live debuting in London at the Royal Festival Hall on 22 October 2007, and featuring the Philharmonia orchestra.

Hannigan's 'Soviet March' theme from Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 was performed at 'A Night in Fantasia', by the Eminence Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, Australia on 26 September 2009.[6] The popular track can be heard on YouTube.[7]

On 28 October 2010, a concert of Hannigan's music was held at St. Mary's Church, Nottingham, England. As part of the GameCity 2010 Festival, the concert featured The Pinewood Singers and soloists performing the theme of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1', pieces from Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3, Evil Genius and other titles[8]

On 29 June 2012, Hannigan was interviewed in front of a live audience at the Royal Albert Hall's Elgar Room by presenter Tommy Pearson, as part of the BAFTA Sponsored event 'Conversations With Composers'. The event featured an overview of the composer's work and live performances from soprano, Tamara Zivadinovic.

Live recording

James Hannigan has worked with the Philharmonia Orchestra, The Skywalker Symphony Orchestra, The Slovak Symphony Orchestra and The Chamber Orchestra of London, recording at Abbey Road Studios, AIR Studios and Skywalker Ranch. The composer is known to be an analogue synthesiser enthusiast.

Credited works

References

  1. ↑ "List of 2010 BAFTA Games Award Winners". Bafta.org. 19 March 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  2. ↑ "IFMCA Award Winners 2009". Filmmusiccritics.org. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  3. ↑ "Changing Our Tune by James Hannigan". Postlinear.co.uk. 16 September 1926. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  4. ↑ "Video Game Music: Is it Art by James Hannigan".
  5. ↑ Welcome to Hogwarts on YouTube
  6. ↑ Eminence Symphony Orchestra Eminence Symphony Orchestra
  7. ↑ Soviet March on YouTube
  8. ↑ "James Hannigan concert report in Develop". Develop-online.net. 21 October 2010. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
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