The Music of Ray Donovan with Composer Marcelo Zarvos

Marcelo Zarvos deconstructs his process for scoring the hit Showtime show Ray Donovan. He talks about how he comes up with the sounds and themes, and his philosophy on how he approaches the unique palettes of the show. Music editor Derek Somaru also speaks about the process of working with Marcelo and how they collaborate to produce the music for the show.

ABOUT MARCELO ZARVOS

The subtle nuances of composer Marcelo Zarvos’ style are evidenced in his recent scores for Golden Globe-winning THE AFFAIR and RAY DONOVAN. Though his training began by studying classical music he later began delving into jazz, rock and world music. This expansion of influence helped to create Zarvos’ trademark sound – a seamless blend of classical, orchestral, rock, electronic and various ethnic elements, that together create uniquely affecting and emotionally charged music for film, TV, modern dance and the concert stage.

Because of his skill with layered stories and emotive undertones, Brazilian-born Zarvos has become the go-to composer for filmmakers like Nicole Holofcener (ENOUGH SAID, PLEASE GIVE, the upcoming ONE MISSISSIPPI), Antoine Fuqua (BROOKLYN’S FINEST), Tod Williams (THE DOOR IN THE FLOOR, CELL), Ross Katz (ADULT BEGINNERS, THE CHOICE), Cary Fukunaga (SIN NOMBRE) and Barry Levinson (THE HUMBLING, YOU DON’T KNOW JACK, ROCK THE KASBAH).

A classically trained pianist and composer, Zarvos earned his BFA from Cal Arts. He burst onto the film landscape in the early 2000s with his score for KISSING JESSICA STEIN and with the film adaptation of the John Irving novel, THE DOOR IN THE FLOOR. Splitting time between the New York independent film scene, Hollywood productions, World and European Cinema, Zarvos’ credits include THE GOOD SHEPHERD, THE WORDS, BROOKLYN’S FINEST, THE FACE OF LOVE, REACHING FOR THE MOON (FLORES RARAS), SIN NOMBRE, HOLLYWOODLAND, ADULT BEGINNERS, THE HUMBLING, LITTLE ACCIDENTS, AMERICAN ULTRA and ENOUGH SAID.

Twice nominated for Primetime Emmy® Awards (for YOU DON’T KNOW JACK and TAKING CHANCE), Zarvos’ television work includes TOO BIG TO FAIL, THE BIG C, EXTANT the HBO movie PHIL SPECTOR, and two current Showtime series THE AFFAIR and RAY DONOVAN.

Zarvos’ upcoming projects include an adaptation of the John le Carré novel OUR KIND OF TRAITOR (starring Ewan Mcgregor and Damian Lewis), ROCK THE KASBAH (directed by Barry Levinson, with a cast including Bruce Willis, Kate Hudson and Bill Murray), THE CHOICE (based on the Nicholas Sparks novel), and the sci-fi thriller CELL (starring Samuel L. Jackson and John Cusack).