Stephanie Economou
{{Short description|American composer}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Stephanie Economou
| image = Stephanie Economou by Gage Skidmore.jpg
| image_size =
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| background = non_performing_personnel
| occupation = Composer, conductor, multi-instrumentalist
| genre = Film and television scores, video game scores, jazz, rock, electronic, experimental, new age
| instruments = Vocals, piano, keyboards, synthesizer, guitar, violin, viola
| years_active = 2011–present
| labels =
| website = https://www.stephanieeconomou.com
| caption = Economou at the 2022 WonderCon
}}
Stephanie Economou is an American composer, conductor, and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles. Her score won the first Grammy award given in the category of Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media at the 65th annual ceremony.
Early life and education
Economou grew up in Long Island, where she was involved in music programs at public school.{{Cite web |last=Neophytou |first=Nadia |date=3 February 2023 |title=How Stephanie Economou Is Making History as a Video Game Soundtrack Composer |url=https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/a42746623/how-stephanie-economou-is-making-history-as-a-video-game-soundtrack-composer/ |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=Shondaland |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-10-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031161721/https://www.shondaland.com/inspire/a42746623/how-stephanie-economou-is-making-history-as-a-video-game-soundtrack-composer/ |url-status=live }} She was inspired by her older sister Nicole to begin playing music, and chose the violin. Economou and her sister also grew up playing the Sega Genesis and games on the first generation of Xbox.{{Cite web |last=Karounos |first=Patricia |date=23 March 2023 |title=5 Women Share How They Made Your Fave Video Games |url=https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2023/03/11327747/women-working-in-gaming-jobs |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=www.refinery29.com |language=en |archive-date=2023-10-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031161711/https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2023/03/11327747/women-working-in-gaming-jobs |url-status=live }}
Economou attended the New England Conservatory of Music, where she studied composition. During her studies, she began to work with people studying at Emerson College to score music for their films.
During her Master's degree for Composition for Visual Media at UCLA, she had an apprenticeship with Harry Gregson-Williams, who employed her following her graduation.{{Cite web |last=Farber |first=Jim |date=16 September 2017 |title=Breaking Through the Celluloid Ceiling |url=https://www.sfcv.org/articles/feature/breaking-through-celluloid-ceiling |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=www.sfcv.org |language=en |archive-date=2023-10-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031161711/https://www.sfcv.org/articles/feature/breaking-through-celluloid-ceiling |url-status=live }}
Career
= Video games =
Ubisoft approached Economou and employed her to initially work on Assassin's Creed Valhalla: The Siege of Paris. She cited the work of Sarah Schachner, who wrote the music for the main game, as influential on her scores for the expansions, as well as music by black metal bands Wilderun and Ari Mason.{{Cite web |last1=Tong |first1=Scott |last2=Perkins Mastromarino |first2=James |last3=Ryan |first3=Jill |last4=Swartz |first4=Katherine |date=6 February 2023 |title='Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök' composer Stephanie Economou wins new Grammy category |url=https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2023/02/03/video-game-soundtrack-grammys |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=www.wbur.org |language=en |archive-date=2023-10-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031161710/https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2023/02/03/video-game-soundtrack-grammys |url-status=live }} Economou composed the soundtrack to the Dawn of Ragnarök expansion of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. The album for this soundtrack won the first ever Grammy award given to a game soundtrack.{{Cite web |title=2023 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Complete Winners & Nominees List |url=https://www.grammy.com/news/2023-grammy-nominations-complete-winners-nominees-list |access-date=2023-09-09 |website=www.grammy.com}} Economou was the only woman nominated in her category.{{Cite web |last=Kerr |first=Chris |date=6 February 2023 |title=Stephanie Economou wins game score Grammy for work on Assassin's Creed |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/audio/stephanie-economou-wins-first-game-score-grammy-for-work-on-assassins-creed |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=Game Developer |language=en |archive-date=2023-10-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031161712/https://www.gamedeveloper.com/audio/stephanie-economou-wins-first-game-score-grammy-for-work-on-assassins-creed |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Fekadu |first=Mesfin |date=5 February 2023 |title=Grammys: Female Composers, 'Encanto' Win Big in Visual Media Categories |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/encanto-assassins-creed-valhalla-dawn-ragnarok-grammys-2023-1235318109/ |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-10-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031161710/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/encanto-assassins-creed-valhalla-dawn-ragnarok-grammys-2023-1235318109/ |url-status=live }}
= Films =
Economou's film credits include scores to the films About My Father,{{Cite web |title='About My Father' Soundtrack Album Details {{!}} Film Music Reporter |url=https://filmmusicreporter.com/2023/05/25/about-my-father-soundtrack-album-details/ |access-date=2023-09-09 |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-11-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102193954/https://filmmusicreporter.com/2023/05/25/about-my-father-soundtrack-album-details/ |url-status=live }} Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken,{{Cite web |last=Reeves |first=Rachel |date=2023-07-17 |title=Interview: 'Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken' Composer Stephanie Economou |url=https://film-cred.com/interview-ruby-gillman-teenage-kraken-stephanie-economou/ |access-date=2023-09-09 |website=Film Cred |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-08-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810032941/https://film-cred.com/interview-ruby-gillman-teenage-kraken-stephanie-economou/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Weiss |first=Josh |date=30 June 2023 |title=How Ruby Gillman Composer Created A Special "Kraken Language" For New DreamWorks Film |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/ruby-gillman-teenage-kraken-composer-stephanie-economou-interview |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=SYFY Official Site |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-07-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230701035001/https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/ruby-gillman-teenage-kraken-composer-stephanie-economou-interview |url-status=live }} and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3{{Cite web |title=Creating Music That Feels Like Being in Greece for My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 |url=https://www.focusfeatures.com/article/interview_composer_my-big-fat-greek-wedding-3 |access-date=2023-09-09 |website=Focus Features |language=en |archive-date=2023-10-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002214631/https://www.focusfeatures.com/article/interview_composer_my-big-fat-greek-wedding-3 |url-status=live }} among others.
Filmography
= Music department =
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Director(s) !Composer(s) ! Notes |
|---|
| rowspan="3" | 2015
|Mark Linfield | rowspan="7" | Harry Gregson-Williams |Music arranger |
| The Martian
|Additional music |
| Miss You Already
|Music arranger |
| rowspan="2" | 2016
|Additional orchestrations |
| Live by Night
| rowspan="3" | Additional music |
| rowspan="3" | 2017 |
| Breath |
| Electric Dreams
|{{N/A}} |Harry Gregson-Williams (theme music) |Vocalist - theme music |
| rowspan="3" | 2018
|Harry Gregson-Williams |Score technical supervisor |
| The Equalizer 2
| rowspan="2" | Harry Gregson-Williams | rowspan="6" | Additional music |
| The Meg |
| rowspan="3" | 2019
|{{N/A}} |Harry Gregson-Williams |
| Penguins
|Alastair Fothergill |Harry Gregson-Williams |
| Catch-22
|{{N/A}} |Harry Gregson-Williams |
| 2020
|Niki Caro |Harry Gregson-Williams |
= As composer =
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Director(s) ! Studio(s) ! Notes |
|---|
| 2019
|{{N/A}} |Season 2 |
| rowspan="2" | 2020
|{{N/A}} |Season 2, co-composed with Harry Gregson-Williams |
| Marvel's 616
|{{N/A}} |Two episodes, Higher, Further, Faster and Spotlight |
| rowspan="3" | 2021
|Steven S. DeKnight |{{N/A}} |
| Assassin's Creed Valhalla: The Siege of Paris
|{{N/A}} |{{N/A}} |
| The Chair
|Daniel Gray Longino |Netflix |{{N/A}} |
| rowspan="2" | 2022
|Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök |{{N/A}} |Ubisoft |Winner: Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media |
| More Than Robots
|Disney+ |{{N/A}} |
| rowspan="3" | 2023
|Laura Terruso |{{N/A}} |
| Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken
|{{N/A}} |
| My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3
|{{N/A}} |
| 2025
|Gabby's Dollhouse: The Movie{{cite web |title=Stephanie Economou Scoring DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie’ |url=https://filmmusicreporter.com/2025/05/08/stephanie-economou-scoring-dreamworks-animations-gabbys-dollhouse-the-movie/ |access-date=May 9, 2025 |website=Film Music Reporter}} |Ryan Crego |Universal Pictures |{{N/A}} |
Awards and honors
- Fellow for the Sundance Institute Composers Lab
- 2018 NBC/Universal Composers Initiative
- 2023: Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media
- Board member of the Alliance for Women Film Composers.
References
{{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Economou, Stephanie}}
Category:21st-century American composers
Category:21st-century American violinists
Category:New England Conservatory alumni
Category:University of California, Los Angeles alumni
Category:Year of birth missing (living people){{Improve categories|date=November 2023}}