FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music is pleased to announce the appointment of Roger Neill as associate professor of music in composition: music scoring for visual media, effective Aug. 1.
Neill is a celebrated composer, conductor and recording artist known for his distinctive and expressive music for film, television, video games, musical theater and the concert hall. His acclaimed scoring work includes films such as “20th Century Women,” “Don’t Think Twice” and “Marie Antoinette,” and major television series such as Amazon’s “Mozart in the Jungle” and Fox TV’s long-running “King of the Hill.”
A significant force in video game music, Neill has contributed to numerous AAA titles, often in partnership with Danish composer Jesper Kyd. His music appears in blockbuster franchises such as “Assassin’s Creed: Revelations,” “Borderlands 2” and “Heroes & Generals.”
Neill’s work has earned him an Emmy Award for “King of the Hill,” Golden Globe for “Mozart in the Jungle” and numerous American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Broadcast Music, Inc. and Society of European Stage Authors and Composers awards. In recognition of his contributions, he was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2020 and the Recording Academy in 2023.
“Roger Neill’s multifaceted talent is truly impressive,” said Abra Bush, David Henry Jacobs Bicentennial Dean. “His innate ability to create across mediums coupled with his over 25 years of experience in academic instruction and leadership will serve our students well as he helps prepare them to embark on careers in an ever-evolving and competitive field.”
As an arranger, orchestrator and conductor, Neill has collaborated with artists such as Beck, Michael Jackson and the Kronos Quartet. He has a long-standing collaboration with the French electronica duo AIR, leading orchestral performances at the Hollywood Bowl and Salle Pleyel in Paris. He served as a historical music consultant on “Marie Antoinette” and as a script consultant and conducting coach on “Mozart in the Jungle” for actors Gael García Bernal and Malcolm McDowell.
Neill is also a dedicated educator and academic. He studied composition and flute at the University of Southern California before earning an A.M. and a Ph.D. in Music Composition from Harvard University. Passionate about developing curricula for game and film music composition, he has mentored emerging composers and fostered interdisciplinary collaborations between music, technology and media.
“As a composer, orchestrator and musician, Roger Neill has had a wide career in not only game scoring, but also film and television,” said P. Q. Phan, chair of the Composition Department. “His many awards in the field, including an Emmy and a Golden Globe, speak for themselves, and the Composition Department is thrilled to welcome him to our Music Scoring for Visual Media program.”