Living in Los Angeles for two decades, the author of the soundtrack of Bac Nord has built a career in the image of his melodies: ambitious, atypical and without borders.

Precocious, Guillaume Roussel began the piano at the age of five and delivered his first composition at the age of sixteen. Since then, the composer has never relaxed the tempo. The itinerary of this fan of the tunes of Ravel and Debussy resembles a score conducted at a beating drum. First in France where he embarked at a very young age on learning harmonic richness and conducting, inspired by the figure of a Colombian maternal grandfather who became a composer. Very quickly, the passion for the synthesizer, the love of jazz and improvised music caught up with him and his profile as a future author of soundtracks (BO) began to take shape.

Guillaume Roussel, French Touch composer who seduces Hollywood filmmakers

Born of a mixed marriage, Guillaume Roussel naturally composes an open territory without borders. At 26, the Anglo-Saxon world calls him: direction London to conduct the prestigious London Philharmonic Orchestra, in the mythical studios of Abbey Road where the music of Star Wars was recorded. " Suddenly, I find myself in the big leagues. An unexpected but also stressful opportunity, it is not in my nature to lead “, he recalls. His career as a composer was launched.

Insatiable, he quickly set sail for Hollywood where the illustrious Hans Zimmer spotted him. Second major turning point in his life. The man with two Oscars, behind the music of Dune, Gladiator or even Interstellar, offers in 2010 to the young French » with an atypical background and a solid culture in classical music to join his team of composers. It was the time when, on the hills of Hollywood, the " French Touch – represented by a whole happy band of young talents – enjoys a sacred reputation. Roussel, then in his thirties, rushes into the adventure. " Not easy for a little Frenchman who learned English at school! I saw Anglo-Saxons handling English with so much more ease, which made them more attractive and reassuring », He admits.

Its French fiber fully vibrates and convinces. Musical heritage, sensitivity, depth, none of the stereotypes are too much in the end to make their way to blockbusters and major studios – he will compose for Pirates of the Caribbean 4 or the movie Black Beauty airing on Disney+. Ironically, since the Covid years, France has not stopped remembering him. Last February, he was nominated for the César for the soundtrack of North Bac. At the moment, he is preparing that of Three Musketeers by Martin Bourboulon and Cédric Jimenez gave him the notes for his next film. What give him the opportunity to fully savor what he misses most of France: the long summer evenings of our mild latitudes.

Who is Guillaume Roussel?

Guillaume Roussel is a French film score composer, born March 18, 1980. He received classical training and began playing the piano at the age of five. After studying harmonization, orchestration and conducting, he graduated from the regional conservatory of Saint-Maur-des-Fossés in 1998. Guillaume Roussel also studied jazz at the CIM in Paris and at the Didier Lockwood school. His career took an international turn when he conducted the London Philharmonic Orchestra at London's famous Abbey Road Studios in 2006. Inspired by film music, he moved to Los Angeles in 2010, where he was invited by the renowned Hans Zimmer to join his Remote Control studios. There he composed for films such as “Pirates of the Caribbean 4” and “The Smurfs”. In 2012, he created the soundtrack for the film “Les Seigneurs”, directed by Olivier Dahan. In 2014, he created the soundtrack for the film “La French” by Cédric Jimenez. The same year, he created the soundtrack for the film “3 Days to Kill”. In 2017, he created the soundtrack for the film HHhH (The Man with the Iron Heart), which included the song See You On The Other Side. His recent projects include the music for the film “Bac Nord” (The Stronghold) by Cédric Jimenez, which earned him a nomination for the César for Best Music, as well as his first collaboration with Disney for the film “Black Beauty” by Ashley Avis. He also composed for the series “Totem” for Amazon Prime and the film “Far from the periphery” for Netflix, directed by Louis Leterrier, and “Couleurs de l’feu” (The Dark Truth), directed by Clovis Cornillac. He was chosen by Martin Bourboulon and Dimitri Rassam to compose the music for the diptych dedicated to “The Three Musketeers”. His filmography also includes works such as “Tomorrow is Today” by Frederic Haubrich, “Les Seigneurs” by Olivier Dahan, “20 ans d’apport” by David Moreau, “Le Crocodile du Botswanga” by Fabrice Éboué and Lionel Steketee, and many others. Guillaume Roussel continues to enrich the world of cinema with his captivating music and significant contributions to the art of film scoring.