Biography
Michael Barry is an award-winning composer and orchestrator whose music is performed by elite ensembles across the globe, bridging the gap between the concert hall and the world’s most iconic media franchises.
As a prominent voice in the wind ensemble community, his works have been championed by programs at Eastman, North Texas, UT Austin, Indiana University, and the USC Trojan Band. His 2024 collaboration album with Dr. Cynthia Johnston-Turner, An Evening With Michael Barry, was hailed by Gramophone as “Razor Sharp.” Recorded with the Budapest Winds under Johnston-Turner’s
direction, the album showcases vivid, accessible wind writing that resonates with performers and audiences alike—from punchy, rhythmic showstoppers to lyrical, symphonic depths.
A classically trained pianist, Barry’s symphonic voice has been described by conductor Anthony Parnther as landing “perfectly between Herrmann, Steiner, and Scriabin.” His orchestral music has been performed by world-class international ensembles including the London Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Danish Radio Symphony.
In the scoring world, Barry is a frequent collaborator of Disney legend Alan Menken, having orchestrated for the live-action Beauty and the Beast, Mirror Mirror, and Spellbound. His extensive credits include proofing John Williams’ sketches for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, serving as lead orchestrator for Netflix’s Emmy-winning Arcane, and hyper-accurately transcribing lost scores for
MGM’s original Tom and Jerry series. In addition to his work for the screen, Barry’s versatility has led to collaborations with iconic artists across genres, including Sting, Imagine Dragons, and pianist Yundi Li. In gaming, he has composed, conducted, and orchestrated for major titles including League of
Legends (earning a Golden Reel Award), Guild Wars II, and Harry Potter: Magic Awakened; his work for Riot Games has reached a massive global audience, garnering millions of views online.
Beyond the podium, Barry is a dedicated educator and industry leader; he is the CEO of the online learning platform Stratisound and a co-founder of Cinesamples and Hollywood Scoring. He resides in Lake Arrowhead, California, where he spends his spare time studying the scores of Shostakovich and photographing local wildlife.