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Composer Michael Nyman is celebrating the recent success of his wonderful score for the extraordinary Academy Award winning Best Documentary, MAN ON WIRE, directed by James Marsh. The film chronicles the story of Philippe Petit's 1974 amazing high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York's World Trade Center and is based upon Petit's book, 'To Reach the Clouds'. It seems appropriate then, that, many years ago, Nyman's own music was Petit's choice to prepare for that unique adventure in the sky.

MAN ON WIRE has racked up 9 wins and 17 nominations for various international awards making it one of the most celebrated films of the year, and was the surprise winner of Best British Film at this year's BAFTA Awards, defeating the Oscar Best Picture winner SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE in the process.

Man on Wire had already won the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2008. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 100% of the 136 reviews they have collected have been positive, making it "The Best of All Time" reviewed film on their site.

Having just been appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), Michael continues to be typically over scheduled in the coming months with travels throughout Europe, South America, and North America.

In April of 2009, Michael will show a collection of short films featuring his own music. The nine films, ranging in length from 3 to 45 minutes, will premiere in London.

Praise for Michael Nyman:

"The other star of this film MAN ON WIRE is the composer Michael Nyman (The Piano, 1993), one of the most exceptional and prolific in the past few decades. He is so distinctive that Hollywood studios unwisely dilute his work or stay away from him altogether. Thankfully his collaboration with such cinema rebels like Peter Greenaway, Jane Champion, and Michael Winterbottom have contributed richly to celluloid."

"His score for Man On Wire is an accumulation of reworked film scores he has done over the years. Nyman loyalists will recognize segments from 'Chasing Sheep Is Best Left To Shepards' (The Draughtsmanﾒs Contract, 1982), 'Sheep and Tides' (Drowning By Numbers, 1988), 'Time Lapse' (A Zed and Two Noughts, 1985), and 'Stroking, Synchronizing' (Water Dances, 1985). The last time I heard Nyman tracks incorporated in a motion picture was two years ago. The film in question was Michael Winterbottom's Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story (2006), which also made my top ten list that year."

"What an inspiration to play Nyman's 'Memorial' from Peter Greenaway's masterpiece 'The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, And Her Lover' over Petit's highest walk. How fitting that it was to Nyman's music that Petit actually practiced his wire act in his backyard. I often listen to Nyman's jazzy scores when I illustrate. Nyman's Baroque-affected work is so locomotive and minacious that it stirs up the most mishandled of hearts. (Nyman) has one foot in the 1600s and the other in contemporary times. You can never go wrong overlaying a Nyman piece over your own movie (I should know!). Nyman has recently held an exhibition of his photography work and influences, called 'Sublime' with the assistance of the design firm Volumina."

-from www.screenhead.net

Film

- 2008 "Man on Wire" Starring Ardis Campbell, David Demato, David Frank, Jean Francois and Paul McGill Director: James Marsh Company: UK Film Council

- 2008 "Genova" Starring: Colin Firth, Catherine Keener, Hope Davis Director: Michael Winterbottom Writers: Laurence Coriat (screenplay) Michael Winterbottom (screenplay) Company: Revolution Films

- 2007 "Teresa, el cuerpo de Cristo" Starring: Paz Vega, Leonor Watling Director: Ray Loriga Writer: Ray Loriga Company: Art￩dis

- 2007 "Never Forever" Starring Vera Farmiga, Jung-woo Ha, David McInnis Dierector: Gina Kim Writer: Gina Kim Company: Now Films

- 2006 "Capturing 'The Libertine'" Starring Johnny Depp, Samantha Morton, John Malkovich, Directors: Arran Browniee, The Browniee Brothers Writers: The Browniee Brothers

- 2005 "The Libertine" Starring Louisa Bawden, Tom Burke and Johnny Depp, Miramax. Directed by Laurence Dunmore. Written by Stephen Jeffreys. Executive Producers Chase Bailey, Steve Christian, Louise Goodsill. Ralph Kamp, Colin Leventhal. Mac Samuelson, Pet

- 2005 "Jestem" Starring Piotr Jagielski, Agnieszka Nag￳rzycka, Directed by Dorota Kedzierzawska Written by Dorota Kedzierzawska Company: Agencja Produkcji Filmowej

- 2005 "Detroit: Ruin of a City" Documentary. Directed, Written and Produced by George Steinmetz and Michael Chanan.

- 2005 "Detriot: Ruin of a City" Directors: George Steinmetz, Michael Chanan (co-director) Writers: Michael Chanan, George Steinmetz

- 2005 "Close to Greenaway", Directors: Tayo Cortes, F. Olivares Written by Tayo Cortes

- 2005 "A Cock and Bull Story" Starring Steve Coogan, Newmarket. Directed by Michael Winterbottom. Written by Martin Hardy and Laurence Sterne. Executive Producers Jeff Abberley and Julia Blackman.

- 2004 "Luminal" Starring Jemeela Mustchin, Maria Papas and Denis Lavant, Dreyco. Directed by Andrea Vecchiato. Written by Isabella Santacroce and Andrea Vecchiato. Executive Producer Philip Bergkvist.

- 2004 "9 Songs" Starring Kieran OￕBrien and Margo Stilley, Revolution. Directed and Written by Michael Winterbottom. Executive Producer Andrew Eaton.

- 2003 "The Actors" Starring Michael Caine and Dylan Moran, DreamWorks/Miramax. Directed by Conor McPherson. Written by Neil Jordan and Conor McPherson. Executive Producers Hanno Huth, Rod Stoneman and Paul Webster.

- 2003 "Nathalie" Starring Emmanuelle Beart, Fanny Ardant and Gerard Depardieu, Wellspring. Directed by Anne Fontaine. Written by Philippe Blasband, Jacques Fieschi, Anne Fontaine and Francois-Oliver Rousseau.

- 2002 "24 Hours In the Life of A Woman" Agnes Jaoui and Michael Serrault, CNC. Directed by Laurent Bouhnik. Written by Laurent Bouhnik, Gilles Taurand and Stefan Zweig. Executive Producer Philippe Roux.

- 2001 "The Son's Room" Starring Nanni Moretti and Laura Morante, Bac/Miramax. Directed by Nanni Moretti. Written by Nanni Moretti, Linda Ferri and Heidrun Schleef. Producers Angelo Barbagall, Federico Fabrizio, Vincenzo Galluzzo, Lorenzo Luccarini and Nan

- 2001 "Subterrain" Starring Jamie Harris and John Callis, Picture Farm. Directed and Written by Rupert Wyatt. Executive Producers Stefan Ambruster, Kathy Condou, Jack Davenport, Nicholas Kent, Oliver Milburn, Kylie Minogue and Michael Nyman.

- 2000 "The Claim" Starring Peter Mullan and Milla Jovovich, United. Directed by Michael Winterbottom. Written by Thomas Hardy and Frank Cottrell Boyce. Executive Producers Andrea Calderwood, Martin Katz, Alexis Lloyd, Mark Shivas and David M. Thompson.

- 2000 "Purely Belter" Starring Chris Beattie and Greg McLane, FilmFour. Directed by Mark Herman. Written by Mark Herman and Jonathan Tulloch. Executive Producer Stephen Woolley.

- 1999 "Wonderland" Starring Shirley Henderson, Polygram. Directed by Michael Winterbottom. Written by Laurence Coriat. Executive Producers David M. Thompson and Stewart Till.

- 1999 "The End of the Affair" Starring Ralph Fiennes, Stephen Rea and Julianne Moore, Columbia. Directed by Neil Jordan. Written by Graham Greene and Neil Jordan. Producers Neil Jordan and Stephen Woolley.

- 1999 "Ravenous" Starring Guy Pearce, Robert Carlyle, David Arquette, Jeremy Davies and Jeffrey Jones, 20th Century Fox. Directed by Antonia Bird. Written by Ted Griffin. Executive Producer Tim Van Rellim.

- 1997 "GATTACA" Starring Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman, Columbia/TriStar. Directed and Written by Andrew Niccol. Produers Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher.

- 1996 "The Ogre" Starring John Malkovich, France 2. Directed by Volker Schlondorff. Written by Michel Tournier, Jean-Claude Carriere and Volker Schlondorff. Executive Producers Claude Berri, Andreas Grosch, Lew Rywin and Jeremy Thomas.

- 1995 "The Diary of Anne Frank" Starring Rena Takahashi, AF Production. Directed by Akinori Nagaoka. Written by Anne Frank, Hachiro Konno and Roger Pulvers.

- 1995 "Carrington" Starring Emma Thompson and Jonathan Pryce, PolyGram. Directed by Christopher Hampton. Written by Christopher Hampton and Michael Holroyd. Executive Producers Francis Boespflug, Philippe Carcassonne and Fabienne Vonier.

- 1994 "Six Days, Six Nights" Starring Anne Parillaud and Beatrice Dalle, Cofimage 5. Directed by Diane Kurys. Written by Diane Kurys and Antoine Lacomblez. Producer Alexandre Arcady.

- 1994 "Mesmer" Starring Alan Rickman, Accent/Mayfair. Directed by Roger Spottiswoode. Written by Dennis Potter. Executive Producer Ingrid Windisch.

- 1993 "The Piano" Starring Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel and Sam Neill, Miramax. Directed and Written by Jane Campion. Executive Producer Alain Depardieu.

- 1992 "Songbook" Documentary, Bioskop/London Records. Directed by Volker Schlondorff. Executive Producer Herbert Chappell.

- 1991 "Les Enfants Volants" Starring Anemone and Didier Abot, Gramophone Enterprise. Directed and Written by Guillaume Nicloux. Producer Jean-Paul Alram.

- 1990 "The Hairdresser's Husband" Starring Jean Rochefort and Anna Galiena, CNC. Directed by Patrice Leconte. Written by Claude Klotz and Patrice Leconte. Executive Producer Monique Guerrier.

- 1990 "Prospero's Books" Starring John Gielgud and Michael Clark, Miramax. Directed by Peter Greenaway. Written by William Shakespeare and Peter Greenaway. Executive Producers Kees Kasander and Denis Wigman.

- 1989 "The Cook, The Theif, His Wife and Her Lover" Starring Richard Bohringer and Michael Gambon, Miramax. Directed and Written by Peter Greenaway. Producer Kees Kasander.

- 1989 "Monsieur Hire" Starring Michel Blanc and Sandrine Bonnaire, Orion. Directed by Patrice LeConte. Written by Georges Simenon, Patrice Leconte and Patrick Dewolf. Producers Philippe Carcassonne and Rene Cleitman.

- 1987 "Drowning By Numbers" Starring Joan Plowright, Prestige. Directed and Written by Peter Greenaway. Producers Kees Kasander and Denis Wigman.

- 1984 "The Cold Room" Starring George Segal, HBO. Directed by James Dearden. Written by Jeffrey Caine and James Dearden. Producers Mark Forstater, Bob Weis and Ingrid Windisch.

- 1983 "Nelly's Version" Starring Eileen Atkins, Mithras. Directed by Maurice Hatton. Written by Eva Figes and Maurice Hatton. Producer Penny Clark.

- 1982 "The Draughtsman's Contract" Starring Anthony Higgins and Janet Suzman, BFI/Fox Lorber. Directed and Written by Peter Greenaway. Producer David Payne.

- 1982 "Brimstone and Treacle" Starring Sting, Sherwood/United Artists. Directed by Richard Loncraine. Written by Dennis Potter. Executive Producer Naim Attallah.

- 1980 "The Falls" Starring Peter Westley and Aad Wirtz, BFI. Directed and Written by Peter Greenaway.

- 1978 "Vertical Features Remake" Starring Colin Cantlie, ACGB. Directed and Written by Peter Greenaway.