Shigeru Umebayashi (梅林茂, 19 February 1951)

Biography of Shigeru Umebayashi

Shigeru Umebayashi is a Japanese composer. Once the leader of Japan's new wave rock band EX, Shigeru Umebayashi began scoring films in 1985 when the band broke up. He has more than 30 Japanese and Chinese films to his credit.

In 1991, Shigeru Umebayashi scored for Japanese director Seijun Suzuki's biopic film about Japanese painter and poet Takehisa Yumeji Yumeji), one of the scores "Yumeji's Theme" was later included in Hongkong director Wong Kar-wai's film In the Mood for Love (2000), and this track became his best known work in the world.

​Umebayashi not only scored most of Wong Kar-wai's follow-up film, such as his film 2046 in 2004, and  Grandmaster in 2013, but also worked with many other directors both in China and Japan, such as Chinese Director Zhang Yi mo for his 2004 film House of Flying Daggers.

In 2009, Umebayashi scored for Tom Ford directorial debut A single man, together with several other composers including polish composer Abel Korzeniowski.

Shigeru Umebayashi beside his piano

Filmography

1980s
Itsuka Darekaga Korosareru (1984)
Tomoyo Shizukani Nemure (1985)
Sorekara (1985)
Sorobanzuku (1986)
Shinshi Domei (1986)
Kyohu no Yacchan (1987)
Getting Blue in Color (1988)

1990s
Hong Kong Paradise (1990)
Tekken (1990)
Yumeji (1991)
Ote (1991)
Goaisatsu (1991)
Arihureta Ai ni Kansuru Chosa (1992)
Byoin he Iko 2 Yamai ha Kikara (1992)
Nemuranai Machi Shinjuku Zame (1993)
Izakaya Yurei (1994)
Zero Woman (1995)
Boxer Joe (1995)
Kitanai Yatsu (1995)
Hashirana Akan Yoake Made (1995)
The Christ of Nanjing (1995)
Shin Gokudo Kisha (1996)
Izakaya Yurei 2 (1996)
Ichigo Domei (1997)
Isana no Umi (1997)
Watashitachi ga Sukidatta Koto (1997)
G4 Option Zero (1997)
Fuyajo (1998)
Belle Epoch (1998)

2000s
2000 A.D. (2000)
Shojo (2000)
In the Mood for Love (2000)
Midnight Fly (2001)
Hikari no Ame (2001)
Onmyoji (2001)
Zhou Yu's Train (2002)
Onmyoji II (2003)
Floating Land Scape (2003)
House of Flying Daggers (2004)
2046 (2004)
Hibi (2004)
Fearless (2006)
Daisy (2006)
Curse of the Golden Flower (2006)
Hannibal Rising (2007)
Absurdistan (2008)
Incendiary (2008)
Tears for Sale (2008)
The Real Shaolin (2008)
Murderer (2009)

2010s
True Legend (2010)
Days of Grace (2011)
Trishna (2011)
The Grandmaster (2013)
Rise of the Legend (2014)
The Bride (2015)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016)
The Wasted Times (2016)

Selected film scores

1991, Yumeji directed by Seijun Suzuki

---

2000, In the mood for love (Faa yeung nin wa, original title) directed by Wong Kar-wai

---

2004, House of daggers directed by Zhang yi mo

---

2009, A single man directed by Tom Ford

---