CHRONICLE’S INTERVIEW

Film Music — A Theme with a Variation
An Interview with Thomas Burić

Interviewed by Irena Paulus

Thomas Burić was born on December 31st, 1972, in Zagreb. He began his musical education in Zagreb, where he attended Primary and Secondary Musical School from 1980 till 1990. After graduation he enrolled at the Musical Academy in Basel, Switzerland. He graduated with a Master’s degree in cello in the class of Antonio Meneses. While studying, he also performed all around Europe and the USA. From 1995 till 1997 he worked in Zagreb, mostly as a piano player. In 1997, he left for the USA where he perfected his performance on the cello at the University of Southern California in the class of professor Eleonora Schoenfeld.

He went on to a postgraduate study of film composition at the same university, and got a Master’s degree in 2001, along with the ASCAP/USC Award for extremely gifted students. He is currently composing film scores. In the interview, he talks about the university he graduated from, the demands that films put before the composer, his experiences with various directors, and different composing and orchestrating styles.

Irena Paulus