Jeff Rona

Composer Jeff Rona is one of the most interesting and diverse musical talents currently working in film. His music has been featured in dozens of films, television series, television movies and soundtracks, and draws from a wide range of styles. Rona was among the first musicians in the US to compose and create music for films and records with computers and digital synthesizers, and also played a key role in popularizing MIDI technology.

Born and raised in Culver City, California, Rona began playing the flute in grade school and started experimenting and composing with sophisticated electronic instruments while still in high school. In the early stages of his career, Rona composed for dance companies, plays, art galleries and contemporary concert venues around the world. He also worked as a musician, arranger, synthesist and sound programmer in Los Angeles and New York. For a short time, Rona was also involved in the design of new electronic instruments and musical software.

While a highly in-demand musician on numerous films and records, Rona landed his first solo composing project, scoring the acclaimed television series Homicide: Life On The Street with director Barry Levinson. Other TV projects followed, including the enormously successful Chicago Hope and Profiler. Rona worked closely with Steven Spielberg to score Dreamworks’ first TV series, High Incident, and collaborated with Robert Altman on his award-winning Gun anthology. He also scored international auteur director Wong Kar Wais The Follow for BMW Films.

Rona’s feature film work includes Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down, Gladiator, and White Squall; Steven Soderberghs Traffic, Schizopolis and Kafka; The Mothman Prophesies; Exit Wounds; The In Crowd; Mission: Impossible 2; Assassins; The Net; Thin Red Line; The Fan; Chill Factor; and numerous others. Rona has also worked on several award-winning documentaries, as well as a number of landmark early silent films for an upcoming series of live concerts with picture.

Jeff Rona uses M-Audio’s Studiophile SP-5Bs, Studiophile SP-8S, Quattro, Omni I/O, Studio Pack, Tampa, Live and Reason.