Derek Zhao

01 to the sun

Snowfall Tragedies

The Gods Duel.mp3

The War for Heaven

Binary City

Forbidden Love II.mp3

Funky Freestyle

Lover's Tea

Spirit Pool

Southern Comforts

Tragic Hero Pt. II

The Jump

Knowing You

The Gift Box

Prokofiev - Poetico

红头绳 Red Hair Band

Unknown Origins

地道战 Tunnel Warfare

Phalanx

Snapshots

Knock on Stone.mp3

To the Sun

RO-BOTS!

Angel of Death

Daybreak

红色娘子军 Red Detachment of Women

The Memorial.mp3

Fear Itself

Suit Up.mp3

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derek zhao

Home

Bio

Biography

I currently work back and forth between Los Angeles and Beijing as a freelance composer and also as an associate composer/arranger for the Beijing Dance Drama & Opera.How did I get here? Growing up in Houston, I started studying violin at age eight with Bingsun Yang, once the concertmaster of the China National Symphony Orchestra. Ten years later, I decided I hadn't the nerves to continue performing on stage, so I went for the opposite musical occupation: composing, where you sit in your cave, eat microwavable foods, and create to your heart's satisfaction.I learned how to do all three things while studying for a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Music Recording Minor at the University of Southern California, where I was fortunate enough to collaborate with uniquely awesome students on over 40 short films, a variety of TV themes for the campus TV station, and many other projects, including for Sony, Hewlett-Packard, and American Apparel. I won a few awards and honors too. May of 2010, I graduated a year early, and since then I've been doing the same thing, but bigger and better! Everything's in the Project List.A particularly nice highlight of my experience was the chance to work as Randy Newman's (you know, Oscar and Grammy-winning composer/singer/songwriter - that one) technical assistant on The Princess and the Frog and Toy Story 3. Why else would I keep trying to lead you to my IMDB page? Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Eureka, and Walking Dead fans, I interned for Bear McCreary. He is a genius. "So say we all."Along with composing, I also edit, mix, and master my own scores. What's one to do? We're all on shoestring budgets these days.I have a few pieces I consider classical, just so I can call myself slightly, infinitesimally legit, as opposed to a complete-sellout-unserious-this-isn't-real-music-film-composer. They've been premiered at downtown Houston's Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, performed by members of the Houston Grand Opera and Houston Symphony, and choreographed to by Houston Ballet II.The end. For now.

Music

Albums Main

Music

2011

2010

Choreography

Back

01 Choreography
02 Binary City
03 Tragic Hero Pt. I
04 Tragic Hero Pt. II
05 Storms in Asia
06 Daybreak
07 Mysterioso
08 Spirit Pool
09 The World in 360
10 Good Morning
11 Snapshots
12 Phalanx
13 The Jump
14 With Starry Heavens Above Us
15 Short Circuit Sleuth
16 Ro-Bots!
17 Memory Tree
18 Parting Words
19 She'll Be Gone Tomorrow
20 Dame Lo
21 Funky Freestyle

01 Choreography02 Binary City03 Tragic Hero Pt. I04 Tragic Hero Pt. II05 Storms in Asia06 Daybreak07 Mysterioso08 Spirit Pool09 The World in 36010 Good Morning11 Snapshots12 Phalanx13 The Jump14 With Starry Heavens Above Us15 Short Circuit Sleuth16 RO-BOTS!17 Memory Tree18 Parting Words19 She'll Be Gone Tomorrow20 Dame Lo21 Funky Freestyle

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Showreel

The Plagiarist's Game
Spirit Pool
Short Circuit Sleuth
The Plagiarist's Game
Spirit Pool
Short Circuit Sleuth

English

Chinese

Project List No Frame

film PAD YATRAdir. Wendy Lee - documentary - 2012EVASIONdir. Yuta Okamura - action - 2012THE PLAGIARIST'S GAMEdir. Cassie Brooksbank - suspense/action - 2011LEEdir. Roland Wiryawan - martial arts/action - 2011SHORT CIRCUIT SLEUTHdir. Eric Stirpe - animation/noir/spy comedy - 2011SPIRIT POOLdir. Wyatt Banks - animation/tribal - 2011PHOTO LOVIN'dir. Lisa Anderson - animation/romantic comedy - 2011THE MEMORY TREEdir. Jeremiah Forkkio - animation/sci-fi/fantasy - 2011ROBBIE 3.0dir. Dominic Soo - animation/sci-fi/comedy/drama - 2011THE PERFECT PAPER AIRPLANEdir. CC Chainey - comedy - 2011TONIGHT'S THE NIGHTdir. Sati Kaur - drama - 2011A CAPTURED MOMENTdir. Earl Rath - drama - 2010BUDDHA'S BRACELETdir. Trent - martial arts/comedy/action - 2010DAWN OF THE HUNTERdir. David Shipko - drama - 2010HOW TO BE THE LIFE OF A COCKTAIL PARTYdir. Michael Klein - comedy - 2010REVELATION 17dir. Aaron Acosta - sci-fi/action - 2010POISON INC.dir. Cassie Brooksbank - action - 2010TOMBSTONE BRIDESdir. Victor Mathieu - prod. Tombstone Films - horror/comedy - 2010PLOTS OF HEAVEN winner best original soundtrack - Southern California Business Film Festivaldir. Ankush Jindal - comedy - 2010PROSOPAGNOSIAdir. Alec Fairbanks - mystery - 2009INSPIRED BYdir. Daphne Wu - action/comedy - 2009MIXED MESSAGESdir. Catherine Jeffrey - romantic comedy - 2009LABYRINTHdir .Sam Sabawi - suspense/drama - 2009DUDE AND GROOTdir. Eddie Osher - western - 2009HITCHHIKER's GUILTdir. Hide Kurokawa - drama - 2009THE GIRL AND THE DARKdir. Kyle Cabral - animated drama - 2009SCHOOL OF THOUGHTwinner best original soundtrack - Southern California Business Film Festivaldir. Sam Sabawi and Alex Gao - prod. Sunblock Studios - suspense/thriller - 2009DARKSTORMdir. David Shipko - prod. Oil Grain Films - military/action - 2009DREAMWORLDdir. Daphne Wu - animation - 2009ZIG ZAGdir. Michael Holcomb - spy comedy - 2009WORKING TITLEdir. Morgan Dameron - action/comedy - 2009THE LAST OVERDOSEdir. Victor Mathieu - drama - 2009DELAYEDdir. Michael Klein - drama - 2008THE GREAT BLUE HERONdir. Caitlin Richmond - superhero comedy - 2008FLOWERdir. Joshua Compton - drama- 20086 MINUTES TO THE ENDdir. Zachary Baumgartner - sci-fi/drama - 2008STARDUSTdir. Alex Gao - sci-fi/drama - 2008MR. SHARPdir. Daphne Wu - film noir - 2008THE ART OF PINATEdir. Giordany Orellana - comedy - 2008TIME TRAVELERdir. Giordany Orellana - sci-fi - 2008THE STINGRAYS MUST BE PHAT THIS YEARdir. David Falossi - comedy - 2008ADAMOdir. Daniel Velazquez - fantasy/drama - 2008TO THE SUNdir. Kyle Cabral - animation - 2008RABBIT FOODdir. Eric McIver - horror/comedy/animation - 2008CHROMOdir. Rachel Hirsch - documentary - 2008THE REENACTORdir. Michael Ingrasci - comedy - 2008DISTORTIONdir. Sam Sabawi - prod. Sunblock Studios - drama - 2008THE BIG BANGdir. Matthew Cruz - comedy - 2008THE PACKAGEdir. Morgan Dameron - action/comedy - 2008AN ETERNITY IN A BROOM CLOSETdir. Cassie Brooksbank - romantic comedy - 2008JACOB'S ESCAPEdir. Trevor Yuen - sci-fi/action - 2007KEVIN NOSFERATUdir. BRIAN RUDLOFF - horror/comedy - 2007THE WES-SYLVIA TICKETdir. Alex Gao - comedy - 2007TEARS OF GOLDdir. Jason Lubin - drama - 2007TAKING THE PLUNGEdir. Sam Sabawi - drama - 2007ILLUSIONARY ETUDEdir. Cassie Brooksbank - 2007INGENIUMdir. Austin Lipinski - 2007

stage NUWA DANCE DRAMAadditional music - prod. Beijing Dance Drama and Opera - 2011RED THEMED SONGSmusic for a Chinese acrobatics show - 2011ONCE MORE UPON THE BREACHchor. Garrett Smith - ballet - 2007UNDISCOVERED COUNTRYchor. Russ Lepley - ballet - 2006

production library

Cinephonix under construction

Prod. Music Online under construction

Apollo Music Live under construction

Red Cola Music under construction

Cinephonix
Prod. Music Online
Apollo Music Live
Red Cola Music

other media ROSETTA STONE FOR THE ELDERLYdir. Cassie Brooksbank - web comedy sketch - 2011DAYI TEAmusic for a Yunnan tea corporation - 2011USC SCHOOL OF CINEMATIC ARTS PROMOdir. Cassie Brooksbank - prod. USC - promo video - 2011INVADERS FROM AROUND THE WORLDdir. George Zalenski - educational video - 2011NO LANDS TOO FOREIGN PROMO 3dir. Zach Baumgartner - fundraising promo for potential TV series - 2011NO LANDS TOO FOREIGN PROMO 2dir. Zach Baumgartner - fundraising promo for potential TV series - 2011NO LANDS TOO FOREIGN PROMO 1dir. Zach Baumgartner - fundraising promo for potential TV series - 2011SONY PWM-F3 PROMOdir. Cassie Brooksbank - prod. USC/Sony - promo for new product - 2010GOOD NEIGHBOR'S CAMPAIGNdir. Cassie Brooksbank - prod. USC - promo video - 2010DEAN DALEY PROMOprod. Cassie Brooksbank - promo video - 2009GOOD NEIGHBOR'S CAMPAIGNprod. Zachary Baumgartner - promo video - 2009THE GIFT BOXprod. Jeff Rona - trailer music library track - 2009WORLD'S FAIRprod. Jonathan Wilbanks - logo for production company - 2009MYSTERIOSOchor. Garrett Smith - Houston Ballet II - 2009KSCR SPORTSprod. Bryan Fischer - main theme and bumpers for radio sportscast - 2009AMERICAN APPAREL PROMOprod. Jason Pagan - promo video - 2008NEXT GENERATION DATA CENTERSpromo video for Hewlett-Packard - 2008ONCE MORE UPON THE BREACHchor. Garrett Smith - ballet - 2007UNDISCOVERED COUNTRYchor. Russ Lepley - ballet - 2006

television TECATE JINGLEdir. Apo Welatparez - TV spot - 2011READ ALONG WITH MEdir. Sam Sabawi - prod. Alex Gao - regional TV commercial - 2009SC SPORTSCENTERprod. Jason Lubin - main theme and bumpers for sports news program - 2009TV8 PROMOprod. Cassie Brooksbank - 2008IN REEL TIMEprod. Cassie Brooksbank - main theme for documentary series - 2008THE KINDA LATE SHOWprod. Savannah Bloch - main theme for sketch comedy show - 2008LIFE IN THE DORMSprod. Connor Callaghan - main theme and end credits for sitcom - 2008BREAKTHROUGHprod. Cassie Brooksbank - main theme for research documentary series - 2008ANNENBERG TV NEWSprod. Shawn Chitnis - main theme and bumpers for live newscast - 2008TV8 PROMOprod. Bryan Fischer - 2008IMPACTprod. Jake Beal - main theme for news magazine series - 2007CU_USCprod. Doug Hollins - main theme and bumpers for live talk show - 2007

concert YUNNAN CHARITY CONCERT (2011)orchestrations and arrangements of popular Chinese songsfull orchestraVISIONS FUGITIVES (2009)orchestration - comp. Sergei Prokofievfull orchestraINTERMEZZO (2008)orchestration - comp. Johannes Brahmsfull orchestraCOMING HOME (2007)trombone and pianoBY INFERNO'S LIGHT (2007)unaccompanied celloONCE MORE UNTO THE BREACH (2007)violin, viola, cello, pianoPENUMBRA (2006)violin and pianoUNDISCOVERED COUNTRY (2006)flute, clarinet, bassoon, piano, percussion

reenactor scoring session
adamo scoring session
the girl and the dark scoring session 02
the girl and the dark scoring session 01
kevin nosferatu scoring session
dude and groot scoring session

film
stage
production library
other media
television
concert

Pad Yatra

Evasion

Red Song Arrangements

Contact

email: zhao1701_gmail.com

Los Angeles: +1 281-224-3824

Beijing: +86 152-1042-2580