Michael Abels Celebrated at STC22
SoundTrack_Cologne is proud to announce that the Career Achievement Award of its 22nd edition will be presented to composer Michael Abels, best known for his groundbreaking scores for Jordan Peele’s films Get Out, Us and Nope. Abels will attend STC22 on July 10th and 11th, 2025.
On Thursday, July 10th, Michael Abels will engage in an in-depth conversation about his acclaimed career in the film industry with journalist Daniel Kothenschulte (Frankfurter Rundschau). The following evening, on Friday, July 11th, Abels will be honored with the Career Achievement Award during a special ceremony, where the WDR Funkhausorchester will perform a selection of his most iconic film compositions.
Michael Abels is a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer – honored for his opera Omar – whose scores have redefined expectations in both cinema and concert music. His score for Us received the World Soundtrack Award, the Jerry Goldsmith Award, a Critics Choice nomination, and was named "Score of the Decade" by The Wrap. His music for Nope was shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Original Score.
In 2023, Abels composed the score for the Disney+ series Star Wars: The Acolyte and co-wrote the original song "The Power Of Two" with Grammy-winners Victoria Monét and D’Mile. Beyond to his screen work, Abels is an acclaimed concert composer. His works have been performed by the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, the Kronos Quartet, and many others. Recent commissions include Emerge for the National Symphony, the guitar concerto Borders for Grammy-nominated artist Mak Grgic, and Unbound, a symphonic tribute to Olympic champion Jesse Owens. His upcoming projects include commissions for the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, New World Symphony and the Detroit Symphony.
As co-founder of the Composers Diversity Collective, Abels is a leading voice for the increased representation of composers from diverse backgrounds in the film, television, and gaming industries. In 2024, he served as commencement speaker at USC’s Thornton School of Music, inspiring a new generation of artists to follow in his footsteps.
Join us in Cologne as we celebrate Michael Abels’ remarkable contributions to film music and beyond.
Thursday 10.07. - COMEDIA Theater · Roter Saal
16:00 - 17:30
Michael Abels
in conversation with Daniel Kothenschulte
Friday 11.07. - WDR Funkhaus
19:00 - 20:30
Award Ceremony
The WDR Funkhausorchester will perform film scores by Michael Abels and other renowned film composers
