Leo Birenberg is an American composer and orchestrator for film and television.
Career
[edit]Born in Kentucky and raised in Chicago, Birenberg studied composition at NYU and USC.[1] While there, he started composing his first scores in collaboration with his roommate, filmmaker Jeremy Reitz.[2] His favorite score is from Out of Africa.[3]
After graduating, he had a chance encounter with composer Christophe Beck, who ended up taking Birenberg on as a mentee.[4] Under Beck's tutelage, Birenberg worked as the score coordinator on numerous large projects, including The Muppets, Pitch Perfect, Runner Runner, and Frozen. In 2014, Birenberg started composing additional music for Beck’s films, including Muppets Most Wanted, Edge of Tomorrow, and Ant-Man.[5]
In 2014, Birenberg also started composing his own original scores for television shows, including Next Time on Lonny, The Britishes, Big Time in Hollywood, FL,[6] and the YouTube Red series Sing It![7]
In 2016, Birenberg received an email from producer Eric Appel, and asked to compose music for the then-upcoming FX series Son of Zorn.[8] Upon approaching the series, he took the original up-beat synth-heavy score and replaced it with something that spanned a vast array of musical styles, sampling the styles of country music and church choirs.[9] In 2017, Birenberg released a soundtrack for the show. That same year, Birenberg also started composing music for the Seeso original series Take My Wife. He also composed the score for the 2017 comedy F the Prom.[10]
In 2018, Birenberg co-composed YouTube and Sony series Cobra Kai with composer Zach Robinson.[11] They also scored the subsequent seasons through to season six. In addition, he recently scored the music for Dreamworks' Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny.[12]
In 2019, Leo composed the music for Hulu's Pen15.[13] He also recently scored Adult Swim's animated series Tigtone and Tribeca Film Festival selection Plus One.[3]
Awards and honors
[edit]The joint score with Zach Robinson for Weird: The Al Yankovic Story won the 2023 Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score).[14] The duo also gained the following nominations:
- Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media at the 2024 Grammys[15]
- Best Score - Streamed Live Action Film in the 2022 Hollywood Music in Media
- Outstanding Original Score for an Independent Film at the 4th SCL Awards.
Their music for Cobra Kai has had the following nominations:
- ASCAP's Composer’s Choice Award for the Television Score of the Year category in 2021[16]
- ASCAP's Composer’s Choice Award for the Television Score of the Year category in 2023.[17]
- IFMCA's Best Original Score for Television in 2025.[18]
Filmography
[edit]Films
[edit]| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | How to Rob a Bank | Composer |
| 2024 | Die Hart: Die Harter | Composer with Zach Robinson |
| 2023 | Bottoms | Composer with Charli XCX |
| 2022 | Weird: The Al Yankovic Story | Composer with Zach Robinson |
| 2022 | Butcher's Crossing | Composer |
| 2022 | Mack & Rita | Composer |
| 2022 | Anything's Possible | Composer |
| 2022 | Unplugging | Composer |
| 2020 | Impractical Jokers: The Movie | Composer with Zach Robinson |
| 2020 | Secret Society of Second Born Royals | Composer |
| 2019 | Red Penguins | Composer |
| 2019 | Plus One | Composer |
| 2017 | F the Prom | Composer with Zach Robinson |
| 2015 | The Peanuts Movie | Composer (additional music) |
| 2015 | Ant-Man | Composer (additional music) |
| 2015 | Hot Tub Time Machine 2 | Composer (additional music), Orchestrator |
| 2014 | Good Kill | Composer (additional music) |
| 2014 | Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day | Score Producer |
| 2014 | Red Army | Composer |
| 2014 | Edge of Tomorrow | Composer (additional music) |
| 2014 | Muppets Most Wanted | Composer (additional music) |
| 2014 | Endless Love | Composer (additional music), Score Producer |
| 2013 | Frozen | Score Coordinator |
| 2013 | Runner Runner | Score Coordinator |
| 2013 | R.I.P.D. | Score Coordinator |
| 2013 | The Internship | Score Coordinator |
| 2013 | The Hangover Part III | Score Coordinator |
| 2013 | Movie 43 | Composer (segment: "Happy Birthday") |
| 2013 | Charlie Countryman | Score Coordinator |
| 2012 | Struck By Lightning | Score Coordinator |
| 2012 | The Guilt Trip | Score Coordinator |
| 2012 | Pitch Perfect | Music Assistant |
| 2012 | The Watch | Score Coordinator |
| 2012 | This Means War | Score Coordinator |
| 2011 | The Muppets | Score Coordinator |
| 2011 | Tower Heist | Score Coordinator |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man | Composer with Zach Robinson (10 episodes) |
| 2024–present | Jurassic World: Chaos Theory | Composer; Original Jurassic Park themes by John Williams (10 episodes) |
| 2023–2025 | Twisted Metal | Composer with Zach Robinson (10 episodes) |
| 2023 | Obliterated | Composer with Zach Robinson (8 episodes) |
| 2023 | Florida Man | Composer with Zach Robinson (7 episodes) |
| 2022 | Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin | Composer with Zach Robinson (6 episodes) |
| 2022–2023 | Interrupting Chicken | Composer (11 episodes) |
| 2022 | The Boys Presents: Diabolicals | Composer (TV mini series, 1 episode) |
| 2020–2023 | Die Hart | Composer with Leo Birenberg (18 episodes) |
| 2020–2022 | Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous | Composer; Original Jurassic Park and Jurassic World themes by John Williams and Michael Giacchino (50 episodes) |
| 2020–2021 | Central Park | Composer (12 episodes) |
| 2020 | Helter Skelter: An American Myth | Composer (TV mini series, 6 episodes) |
| 2019–2021 | PEN15 | Composer (24 episodes) |
| 2019–2020 | Tigtone | Composer (20 episodes) |
| 2018–2019 | Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny | Composer (26 episodes) |
| 2018–2025 | Cobra Kai | Composer with Zach Robinson (65 episodes) |
| 2018 | In Search of Greatness | Composer |
| 2016–2018 | Adam Ruins Everything | Composer (7 episodes) |
| 2016 | Take My Wife | Composer (7 episodes) |
| 2016 | Son of Zorn | Composer (13 episodes) |
| 2016 | A Classy Broad | Composer |
| 2016 | Sing It! | Composer with Zach (10 episodes) |
| 2015 | Big Time in Hollywood, FL | Composer (12 episodes) |
| 2014 | The Britishes | Composer |
| 2014 | Next Time on Lonny | Composer (10 episodes) |
| 2014 | 30 for 30: Soccer Stories | Composer (1 episode) |
| 2012 | The Kindly Midwesterner | Composer (TV mini series, 8 episodes) |
| 2011–2013 | Dropout | Composer (18 episodes) |
Shorts
[edit]| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Every Part of You | Composer |
| 2023 | One Night With Love | Composer |
| 2020 | Pretty People | Composer |
| 2016 | Remember This Voice | Composer |
| 2015 | Scatterwild | Composer |
| 2014 | Grooming | Composer |
| 2013 | After I've Gone | Composer |
| 2013 | Three Little Words | Composer |
| 2013 | The Desert Son | Composer |
| 2012 | Goat Sucker | Composer |
| 2011 | Dani and Wayne | Composer |
| 2011 | Shock Troop | Composer |
| 2011 | Baby Ruth | Composer |
| 2010 | The Harbinger | Composer |
| 2010 | The Half Man | Composer |
| 2009 | Caring Hearts & Caring Hands | Composer |
| 2009 | Kouzelnik | Composer |
Video Games
[edit]| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Cobra Kai 2: Dojos Rising | Composer with Zach Robinson |
| 2020 | Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues | Composer with Zach Robinson |
References
[edit]- ^ "Leo Birenberg - USC Department of Screen Scoring". uscscoring.com.
- ^ Schroeder, Jules. "A 28-Year-Old Hollywood Composer Shares 3 Ways To Optimize Creativity Under Pressure". Forbes.
- ^ a b "Exclusive Interview – Composers Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson on Cobra Kai". Flickering Myth. 11 May 2018.
- ^ Tobogan, Randy (1 February 2017). "Composer Coverage: Meet Leo Birenberg".
- ^ "Hitting the right notes with Leo Birenberg". 10 October 2016.
- ^ "Bringing Zorn to life musically with composer Leo Birenberg (interview)". 13 July 2017.
- ^ "Leo Birenberg on composing the new series Son Of Zorn and the influence of "Barbarian percussion" (EXCLUSIVE) - The Iris". iris.theaureview.com.
- ^ "Son of Zorn Q&A: Leo Birenberg Discusses Composing Music on a Live-Action/Animated Series". 21 December 2016.
- ^ [email protected] (2 February 2017). "Finding The Heart In Comedy: "Son Of Zorn" Composer Leo Birenberg".
- ^ "Son of Zorn - Interview with Composer Leo Birenberg". 11 July 2017.
- ^ "Leo Birenberg & Zach Robinson Scoring 'Karate Kid' Sequel Series 'Cobra Kai'". Film Music Reporter. 3 February 2018.
- ^ "Composer Leo Birenberg on solving the musical puzzles of film and TV". Fox 11 LA. 30 November 2018.
- ^ "Weekly TV Music Roundup". Film Music Reporter. 3 February 2019.
- ^ "2023 Nominees & Winners for Outstanding Music Composition For A Limited Or Anthology Series, Movie Or Special (Original Dramatic Score)". Television Academy. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
- ^ "66th Annual Grammy Awards 2023". Grammy Awards. Retrieved 2025-04-22.
- ^ "Vote in the 2022 ASCAP Composers' Choice Awards". ASCAP. 2022-02-23.
- ^ "Vote in the 2023 ASCAP Composers' Choice Awards". ASCAP. 2023-02-27.
- ^ "IMFCA Award Nominations 2024". IMFCA. 2025-02-13.
External links
[edit]| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
