Alberto Iglesias Fernández-Berridi (born 21 October 1955) is a Spanish composer. He was first noticed as a score composer for Spanish films, mostly from Pedro Almodóvar and Julio Medem. His career became more international with time and he eventually started to work also in Hollywood. Since then, he has been nominated four times for an Academy Award for his work in the films The Constant Gardener (2005), The Kite Runner (2007), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), and Parallel Mothers (2021). His other film credits include soundtracks for Steven Soderbergh's Che. and Hossein Amini's The Two Faces of January (2014). Iglesias also has worked for ballet and has done other classical music.
Early and personal life Alberto Iglesias Fernández-Berridi was born in 1955 in San Sebastián, Spain. His sister is visual artist Cristina Iglesias. Iglesias was the brother-in-law of the Spanish sculptor, Juan Muñoz.
Career Iglesias studied harmony and counterpoint at the Conservatory of his home city, with Francisco Escudero, continuing his education in Paris, where he studied composition and piano, and at Phonos studios, in Barcelona, where he learned electronic music. Afterwards, he created a duo of electronic music with Javier Navarrete, who worked and performed together from 1981 to 1986. Iglesias began working in film composition in the 1980s.Alberto Iglesias Biography, Allmusic He has composed a number of scores for films directed by Pedro Almodóvar, such as The Flower of My Secret (1995), Live Flesh (1997), All About My Mother (1999), Talk to Her (2002), Bad Education (2004), Volver (2006), Broken Embraces (2009) and The Skin I Live In (2011).
Iglesias also composed the music for Sex and Lucia (2001), directed by Julio Medem and for Oliver Stone's documentary, Comandante (2003).
Iglesias garnered his first Oscar nomination for his score in Fernando Meirelles's film adaptation of The Constant Gardener (2005). Iglesias also composed the score for The Kite Runner (2007), based on Khaled Hosseini's 2003 novel of the same name. Iglesias earned his second Oscar nomination for that score.
In 2008, Iglesias composed Steven Soderbergh's 2008 two-part biopic, Che (2008), starring Benicio del Toro as Che Guevara.
That same year, Iglesias composed the music for Tomas Alfredson's film adaptation of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, starring Gary Oldman as George Smiley. Iglesias told the Los Angeles Times: "(Alfredson) explained to me very well what this film is about. It's a film about loyalties and human relationships. Their spies are victims of this moment. That was the most important thing he told me. The film and the music show the more human side." He received his third Oscar nomination for the latter film.
Work Film Year Title Director Notes 1983 La conquista de Albania Alfonso Ungría La muerte de Mikel Imanol Uribe 1987 Adiós pequeña 1992 Cows (Vacas) Julio Medem 1993 Outrage! (¡Dispara!) Carlos Saura The Red Squirrel Julio Medem 1995 Una casa en las afueras Pedro Costa The Flower of My Secret Pedro Almodóvar 1997 Live Flesh The Chambermaid on the Titanic Bigas Luna 1998 Lovers of the Arctic Circle Julio Medem 1999 All About My Mother Pedro Almodóvar 2001 Sex and Lucia Julio Medem 2002 Talk to Her Pedro Almodóvar The Dancer Upstairs John Malkovich 2004 Bad Education Pedro Almodóvar 2005 The Constant Gardener Fernando Meirelles 2006 Volver Pedro Almodóvar 2007 The Kite Runner Marc Forster 2008 Che Steven Soderbergh 2009 Broken Embraces Pedro Almodóvar 2010 Even the Rain Icíar Bollaín 2011 The Skin I Live In Pedro Almodóvar Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Tomas Alfredson 2012 I'm So Excited Pedro Almodóvar 2014 The Two Faces of January Hossein Amini Exodus: Gods and Kings Ridley Scott 2015 Ma Ma Julio Medem 2016 Julieta Pedro Almodóvar 2017 The Summit Santiago Mitre 2018 Quién te cantará Carlos Vermut Yuli: The Carlos Acosta Story Icíar Bollaín 2019 Pain and Glory Pedro Almodóvar 2020 The Human Voice Short film 2021 Parallel Mothers Maixabel Icíar Bollaín 2024 The Room Next Door Pedro Almodóvar 2026Bitter Christmas
Ballet Iglesias composed the musical score for four ballets produced by Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato and the Spanish National Dance Company. 1992 – Cautiva 1994 – Tabulae 1995 – Cero sobre Cero 1997 – Self
Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Project Result Ref.2005 Academy Award Best Original Score The Constant Gardener 2007 The Kite Runner 2011 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 2021 Parallel Mothers 2007 Golden Globe Awards Best Original Score The Kite Runner 2022 Parallel Mothers 2005 British Academy Film Awards Best Original Music The Constant Gardener 2007 The Kite Runner 2011 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 2004 European Film Awards Best Composer Bad Education & Take My Eyes 2006 Volver 2011 The Skin I Live In 1992 Goya Awards Best Original Score Vacas 1993 La ardilla roja 1996 Tierra 1998 Los amantes del círculo polar 1999 Todo sobre mi madre 2001 Lucia y el sexo 2002 Hable con ella Mira, Alberto (2010) The A to Z of Spanish Cinema, Scarecrow Press, , p. 158 2006 Volver 2008 Che 2009 Broken Embraces 2010 Even the Rain 2011 The Skin I Live In 2015 Ma Ma 2016 Julieta 2017 The Summit 2018 Yuli 2019 Pain and Glory 2021 Maixabel 2019 Cannes Film Festival Best Soundtrack Pain and Glory 2011 Hollywood Film Festival Soundtrack Composer of the Year Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy / The Skin I Live In 2019 Platino Awards Best Original Score Yuli 2004 World Soundtrack Awards Soundtrack Composer of the Year Bad Education 2005 The Constant Gardener 2012 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy / The Skin I Live In Kilday, Greg (21 October 2012) "Alberto Iglesias Named Film Composer of the Year at the World Soundtrack Awards", The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 21 September 2013
See also List of Spanish Academy Award winners and nominees
References
External links
Alberto Iglesias Official Site
"ALBERTO IGLESIAS San Sebastián (Spain) 1955"