Zack Ryan’s musical interest started at the age of 10 when he got his first drum kit.  By the time he was 14, he was playing rock clubs in LA with a band called TRES HOMBRES.  Exploring as many styles of music as he could in high school, including jazz, classical and rock, he knew at a very young age that music would be his life.

His first composition was performed by his high school wind ensemble in 1997.  He then decided to attend the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston.  Majoring in composition, Zack wrote mostly chamber music, film music and studied jazz arranging.  His PRELUDE FOR CHAMBER ORCHESTRA was commissioned by the NEW ENGLAND SINFONIETTA and was premiered in November 2000 under the direction of Brian Parks.  He graduated summa cum laude in December 2000 and moved back to southern California.

Since moving back to LA, Zack has kept himself busy writing music for film and television.  His most recent works include AMANDA KNOX: MURDER ON TRIAL IN ITALY (Lifetime), BECOMING SANTA (Winner, Spotlight Audience Award SXSW 2011) and additional music for the upcoming ONE FOR THE MONEY (Lakeshore/Lions Gate).  Equally comfortable conducting an orchestra as he is at the helm of his sample-based studio, Zack’s diverse musical background allows him to create a unique score for each project, helping to propel the director’s vision into a musical reality.  His traditional “pencil and paper” approach to composition, coupled with his love and reverence for the old masters of film music helps to create a refreshingly classy sound in the modern world of computer-created film music.