Shigeru Umebayashi (aka Ume) was born in Kitakyushu, Japan.

Ume began composing film music in 1984, and his talent was quickly recognized the following year when his score for Sorekara (And Then) won multiple awards. Since then, he has composed for more than 30 Japanese films.

Internationally, Ume is best known for Yumeji’s Theme in Wong Kar-Wai’s In the Mood for Love (2000), as well as his collaborations with Wong on 2046 (2004) and The Grandmaster (2013). He also worked with Zhang Yimou on House of Flying Daggers (2004) and Curse of the Golden Flower (2006), composing the celebrated end-title song Lovers for soprano Kathleen Battle.

Ume’s scores have received numerous honors, such as the 2012 Mexican Academy Ariel Award for Dias de Gracia and the 2014 Best Composer Awards at both the 8th Asian Film Awards and the 33rd Hong Kong Film Awards for The Grandmaster (jointly with French composer Nathaniel Mechaly).

His versatility has led him to work with directors around the world, including Ronny Yu (Fearless), Roberta Torre (Dark Sea), Uros Stojanovic (Tears for Sale), Peter Webber (Hannibal Rising), Michael Winterbottom (Trishna), Tom Ford (A Single Man), Veit Helmer (Absurdistan) and Sharon Maguire (Incendiary).

Other projects include China-related films such as The Wasted Times (2016), God of War (2017), Miss Puff (2018), and the TV series The Rebel Princess (2020). He also worked on the UK TV series Chimerica (2018), as well as music for games like Onmyoji (2018, mobile) and Ghost of Tsushima (2020, console). Ume’s music has also appeared in campaigns for major global brands, including Chanel, Patek Philippe, Volkswagen, and Valentino.

His score for the official documentary The Everlasting Flame: Beijing 2008 won international acclaim, and his music from the film Onmyoji was famously used by Olympic gold medalist Yuzuru Hanyu in his figure skating programs at the Sochi and PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

Ume has continued to presented his film music in concert at leading European festivals and concert halls, since 2010.

In addition, renowned violinist Gidon Kremer commissioned Ume to write The Japanese Four Seasons for Kremerata Baltica.

Shigeru Umebayashi is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the World Soundtrack Academy, and remains dedicated to creating music that transcends borders and connects cultures.

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