Joseph Trapanese
Joseph Trapanese (born August 7, 1984) is an American composer, conductor, arranger, and music producer. He works in the production of music for films, television, records, theater, concerts, and interactive media.
Joseph Trapanese

Bluebonsai · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- Joseph Trapanese
- Occupation
- * Film composer
- Born
- 1984 · Perth Amboy.
- Nationality
- United States
- Fields
- music
- Education
- University of California and Los Angeles · Manhattan School of Music · Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School
- Languages
- English
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Joseph Trapanese (born August 7, 1984) is an American composer, conductor, arranger, and music producer. He works in the production of music for films, television, records, theater, concerts, and interactive media.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Joseph Trapanese. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
museum · 70dbaf82-6cad-47b8-ae79-b36ef83d5ee3 · wikidata · Q6287481 · wikipedia · Joseph Trapanese
In this article
Biography
Biography
Joseph Trapanese studied at University of California, Los Angeles, Manhattan School of Music and Dr. McNair Academic High School. The recorded working language is English. The field of work recorded is music. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are film score, jazz, electronic music and ambient music.

Trapanese conducting his score for Disney's "Lady and the Tramp" (2019) at Sony Scoring Stage.
Bluebonsai
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Joseph Trapanese • Origin — New Jersey, United States • Genre — * Film score • pop • jazz • ambient • electronic • Instrument — * Piano • keyboards • synthesizer • trombone • Occupation — * Film composer • orchestrator • arranger • conductor • music producer • Years Active — 2006–present • Website — joecomposer.com
Early life and education
Early life and education
Raised in Jersey City, New Jersey, Trapanese attended Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School before moving on to the Manhattan School of Music.
Early career
Early career
Trapanese began his composing career by collaborating with Daft Punk (Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo) on the soundtrack for the Walt Disney Pictures film Tron: Legacy. His arrangements for the soundtrack have been described as "resolutely grand" and "stirring... ominous, hypnotic". The BBC described the work as "a sophisticated integration of acoustic and electronic instrumentation... majestic… rich, solemn tones… saturnine orchestration and a muscular rhythm”.
2011–present
2011–present
• Illustration — Trapanese in 2013 Trapanese has composed for numerous projects, including Disney XD's animated series Tron: Uprising, Sony Pictures Classics' The Raid: Redemption (cocomposed with Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park), Sony Pictures Television's original web series The Bannen Way, the independent feature Mamitas (featured at the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival), and numerous live-action and animated films from UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television. Trapanese contributed musical arrangements to Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, What Happens in Vegas and Traitor. Alongside composer Daniel Licht, Trapanese produced and orchestrated the scores for seasons 3 and 4 of Showtime's original series Dexter, and provided orchestrations for seasons 5 and 6. The 2012 teaser trailer for Iron Man 3 features Trapanese's composition Something to Fight For. His career eventually lead to working on major studio feature films working solo and alongside recording artists. Some of his well known credits include Universal Studios's Straight Outta Compton, Lionsgate Films's The Divergent Series: Insurgent, Sony Pictures Classics' The Raid 2, and Universal Studios's Oblivion (co-composed with Anthony Gonzalez of M83). In 2017, he scored the Sony Pictures film Only the Brave, marking his third collaboration with director Joseph Kosinski, and co-scored the 20th Century Fox musical drama The Greatest Showman alongside composer John Debney. For the latter, he produced several of the chart-topping songs from the film written by Academy Award-winning songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
Music collaboration with artists
Music collaboration with artists
Following his collaborations with Daft Punk on Tron: Legacy, Anthony Gonzalez (M83) on Oblivion, and Mike Shinoda (Linkin Park) on The Raid: Redemption, Trapanese continues to work with artists in film scoring, album production, and live events. On August 7, 2015 Dr. Dre released his long-awaited third album Compton which featured string arrangements by Trapanese and Jennifer Hammond. They were conducted by Trapanese at the Straight Outta Compton scoring sessions at the Sony Pictures Studios scoring stage in Culver City. On February 27, 2015 Kelly Clarkson released her seventh album Piece by Piece which featured an orchestra arranged and conducted by Trapanese recorded at EastWest Studios in Hollywood. He collaborated with producers Greg Kurstin, Jesse Shatkin, and Jason Halbert on the project. On September 22, 2013, Trapanese performed with M83 at the Hollywood Bowl as conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. For the concert, Trapanese arranged new orchestral material for songs from Before The Dawn Heals Us, Saturdays=Youth, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming, and Oblivion. He also arranged and conducted an orchestra for M83's show at Central Park Summerstage in New York City on August 8, 2012. Released on October 25, 2013, by RCA Records, Kelly Clarkson's Wrapped in Red features an orchestra arranged and conducted by Trapanese. Produced by Greg Kurstin, it is Clarkson's first Christmas-themed release, featuring cover versions of various Christmas standards in addition to original material. As part of the album's promotion, on October 30, 2013, Trapanese led the orchestra for Kelly Clarkson's Cautionary Christmas Music Tale at The Venetian Las Vegas, which was broadcast on NBC on December 11, 2013. Trapanese collaborated with Active Child on the arrangement of "Silhouette" (featuring Ellie Goulding) for his 2013 EP Rapor. In addition to the album, he provided new string and choir arrangements for his performances in Melbourne, London, New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. For 2012's The Bourne Legacy, Trapanese worked with Moby on a new orchestral version of his "Extreme Ways". On October 18, 2011, M83's double-disc album Hurry Up, We're Dreaming released with five tracks arranged by Trapanese. Trapanese's work can be heard on "Intro", "Wait", "Soon, My Friend", "My Tears Are Becoming a Sea", and "Outro". Trapanese co-wrote and co-produced the song "Do or Die" with 3OH!3 from their album Omens. In 2023, Trapanese collaborated with American chiptune band Anamanaguchi on the anime series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off for Netflix.
Music for live theater
Music for live theater
The music Trapanese has produced for theater is performed primarily in New York City, most notably in productions by The Actors Company Theatre. Recent productions that he has provided music for include T. S. Eliot's The Cocktail Party, Arthur Miller's Incident at Vichy, Václav Havel's The Memorandum, and Edward Bond's The Sea. His music for the production of Milan Stitt's The Runner Stumbles was described by the New York Times as "Precise and evocative... wistful, ringing melodies”.
Education
Education
Trapanese completed his bachelor's degree in composition at the Manhattan School of Music, and later an M.A. in Music for Visual Media at UCLA, with support from the Henry Mancini fund. Joseph's tutors included Giampaolo Bracali, Bruce Broughton, Paul Chihara, Roger Bourland, Jack Smalley, and Martin Bresnick, and he also engaged in brief studies with Louis Andriessen, Aaron Jay Kernis, Julia Wolfe, Mark Snow, and Ira Newborn. From 2008 to 2011, Trapanese taught the Electronic Music and Composition curriculum at UCLA's Herb Alpert School of Music.
Television
Television
• Year — Title — Notes • 2009–10 — The Bannen Way — 16 episodes • 2010–11 — Suite 7 — 2 episodes • 2012–13 — Tron: Uprising — 19 episodes • 2016 — Dead of Summer — 10 episodes • 2016–17 — Quantico — 20 episodes • Jean-Claude Van Johnson — 6 episodes • 2018 — Unsolved — 10 episodes • Berlin Station — 10 episodes • 2019 — Are You Afraid of the Dark?: Carnival of Doom — 3 episodes Composed with Jason Lazarus • 2021–23 — Shadow and Bone — 16 episodes • 2021–present — The Witcher — Seasons 2-5 32 episodes • 2023 — Skull Island — 8 episodes Composed with Jason Lazarus • 2023 — Scott Pilgrim Takes Off — 8 episodes Composed with Anamanaguchi • 2024–26 — Brilliant Minds — 33 episodes
Video games
Video games
• Year — Title — Developer — Publisher • 2014 — The Crew — Ivory Tower — Ubisoft • 2017 — Need for Speed Payback — Ghost Games — Electronic Arts • 2020 — Star Wars: Tales From the Galaxy's Edge — ILMxLab — Disney Electronic Content
Identity
Identity
Joseph Trapanese is recorded as composer, record producer, orchestrator, music arranger and conductor. Formation and teaching. Trapanese studied at University of California, Los Angeles, Manhattan School of Music and Dr. McNair Academic High School.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1984
Joseph Trapanese born at Perth Amboy.
Film
• Year — Title — Director(s) — Notes • 2009 — Countdown: Jerusalem — Adam Silver • 2010 — Tron: Legacy — Joseph Kosinski — Composed by Daft Punk Arranger and orchestrator First collaboration with Joseph Kosinski • 2011 — Mamitas — Nicholas Ozeki • The Raid — Gareth Evans — Composed with Mike Shinoda, Aria Prayogi and Fajar Yuskemal First collaboration with Gareth Evans • 2013 — Oblivion — Joseph Kosinski — Composed with M83 Second collaboration with Joseph Kosinski • 2014 — The Raid 2 — Gareth Evans — Composed with Aria Prayogi and Fajar Yuskemal Second collaboration with Gareth Evans • Earth to Echo — Dave Green • Stand — Cosmos Kiindarius • Transformers: Age of Extinction — Michael Bay — Additional music Score composed by Steve Jablonsky • 2015 — The Divergent Series: Insurgent — Robert Schwentke — First collaboration with Robert Schwentke • Straight Outta Compton — F. Gary Gray • 2016 — The Divergent Series: Allegiant — Robert Schwentke — Second collaboration with Robert Schwentke • The Siege of Jadotville — Richie Smyth • 2017 — Only the Brave — Joseph Kosinski — Third collaboration with Joseph Kosinski • Wolf Warrior 2 — Wu Jing • Shimmer Lake — Oren Uziel • The Greatest Showman — Michael Gracey — Composed with John Debney Original songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul • 2018 — Arctic — Joe Penna • Robin Hood — Otto Bathurst • Sprinter — Storm Saulter • 2019 — Stuber — Michael Dowse — First collaboration with Michael Dowse • Lady and the Tramp — Charlie Bean • 2020 — Coffee & Kareem — Michael Dowse — Second collaboration with Michael Dowse • Project Power — Henry Joost Ariel Schulman • Spontaneous — Brian Duffield — First collaboration with Brian Duffield • 2021 — Finding 'Ohana — Jude Weng • Prisoners of the Ghostland — Sion Sono • Happily — BenDavid Grabinski • 8-Bit Christmas — Michael Dowse — Third collaboration with Michael Dowse • 2022 — Spiderhead — Joseph Kosinski — Performed by The London Contemporary Orchestra Fourth collaboration with Joseph Kosinski • 2023 — The Machine — Peter Atencio • No One Will Save You — Brian Duffield — Second collaboration with Brian Duffield • Postcard from Earth — Darren Aronofsky — Composed with The Echo Society • 2025 — The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep — Kang Hei Chul • G20 — Patricia Riggen • David — Phil Cunningham Brent Dawes — First score for an animated film Original songs by Jonas Myrin • 2026 — He Bled Neon — Drew Kirsch — Composed with Zhu • Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice — BenDavid Grabinski • Whalefall — Brian Duffield — Third collaboration with Brian Duffield • 2027 — Animal Friends — Peter Atencio
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q6287481: Joseph Trapanese
Reputable secondary · Wikimedia Foundation
- “Joseph Trapanese”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Institutional database
- MusicBrainz artist record for Joseph Trapanese
Scholarly · MetaBrainz Foundation
Awards and honors
• In 2012, Trapanese was nominated for an IFMCA Award for 'Breakthrough Film Composer of the Year' by the International Film Music Critics Association • In 2013, Joseph was nominated for Discovery of the Year for Oblivion at the World Soundtrack Academy Awards in Ghent, Belgium. • In 2013, Trapanese was nominated for the ASCAP Composers’ Choice Award for the movie Oblivion. • In 2015, Trapanese was nominated for Best Original Song Written for a Film from Insurgent for the song "Carry Me Home" at the World Soundtrack Academy Awards • In 2015, Trapanese won the Black Reel Award for Outstanding Score for the film Straight Outta Compton. • In 2018, Trapanese was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Music for The Greatest Showman (shared with John Debney)
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
MusicBrainz artist record for Joseph TrapaneseMetaBrainz Foundation
Institutional witnessreference work
Wikidata, structured authority record Q6287481: Joseph TrapaneseWikimedia Foundation
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Music memorabilia
42,307 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Joseph SzigetiPerson
- Joseph TawadrosPerson
- Joseph the HymnographerPerson
- Joseph TouchemoulinPerson
- Joseph UmstattPerson
- Joseph VézinaPerson
- Joseph von SpaunPerson
- Joseph WardPerson
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Joseph Trapanese?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.