FILM/ TV/ PODCAST
Photo by Rachel Rogers
MIKE BRUN is an American composer, performer, producer, and orchestrator based out of New York City. At home in a wide range of formats and genres, Brun is known for a brand of soulful intelligence and deep craft all his own. He has Music Directed multiple New York Times “Critic’s Pick” theater productions, co-created dance pieces with Margaret Wiss and Emmy-winner Al Blackstone, served as band member for such artists as Cristin Milioti, Krystle Warren, and The Revivalists, and released three albums of original singer-songwriter music. His orchestrations have been performed at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Berkeley Repertory Theater, and The Kennedy Center. He is the mind behind the viral lofi beats brand Ciao Ciao Marigold, and produces other artists under the moniker 12tone.
As a composer for the screen, Brun’s broad life experiences and deep musical skillset all come to bear, making for uniquely evocative musical storytelling. He is drawn to unexpected and underrepresented subjects, and prioritizes intimacy and humanity in his composition. After graduating from the NYU Screen Scoring masters program in 2020, he has created scores in a myriad range of styles. Credits include the NY Emmy-nominated feature documentary Under the Greenwood Tree, which explores the Public Theater’s Public Works program, Noelia Muiño’s brooding and eerie period short film Monte Bravo (2020 Edinburgh International selection), and TRADE CENTER, Adam Baran’s poignant and haunting oral history about the vibrant Gay cruising scene in the World Trade Center pre-9/11 (2021 SXSW and AFI selections). He has written and produced songs for the screen as well, contributing most notably to This Really Happened (2024 Tribeca selection) and the main theme for How Art Changed Me (2024 Webby-winner).
Brun works out of his studio in Brooklyn, and travels often for work. He is a musical Swiss Army knife: in addition to singing, he plays keyboard, guitar, bass, drums, trumpet, clarinet, and many other instruments. He is also proficient with electronics, confidently employing synthesizers, sample libraries, and beat-making in his music.
Upcoming: Chase, a feature-length documentary about gender-fluid ballerina Chase Johnsey; and Unfamiliar Skin, a narrative short film from DGA-award winner Gustavo Milan.
In addition to the Master’s degree from NYU, Brun is a proud holder of a Bachelor’s degree in English from Tulane University. He has studied composition under Paul Chihara and trumpet under Vance Woolf. He is a fellow of the 2014 Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project and the 2020 ASCAP/ Columbia Film Scoring Workshop. When not making music, Brun is a helicopter parent to his plants and a film photography nerd.
