Armand Amar

Armand Amar is a Paris-based composer renowned for his film scores and choreographic works. Born in Jerusalem in 1953 and raised in Morocco, he developed an interest in music at an early age. Self-taught, he studied European classical music as well as the musical traditions of the Middle East.Fascinated by the connection between music and dance, he found an ideal setting in which to explore these interests when he began working with South African choreographer Peter Goss.As a composer for dance, theatre, and film, he has developed a musical language in which the Western orchestra enters into dialogue with voices and instruments from around the world—not out of exoticism, but because every timbre carries a memory and a culture which, when brought together, reveal what connects people beyond their differences.From the 2000s onwards, he became a leading figure in film music, collaborating with Costa-Gavras, Radu Mihăileanu, Nacer Khemir, and Yann Arthus-Bertrand. His most emblematic scores include Amen., Live and Become, The Concert, Days of Glory, Bab’Aziz, Home, and Human. The Concert earned him the César Award for Best Music in 2010, as well as several international nominations, including at the Gopo Awards, the Amanda Awards, and from the International Film Music Critics Association.Alongside his work as a composer, Amar is also one of the founders of the Long Distance record label, which specializes in world music and classical works from around the globe.