Biography
Violinist and composer Ysanne Spevack is best known for her string arrangements for rock music and for her lush, string-laden movie and TV scores. Her strings grace a wide musical terrain spanning filmscores, rock, pop and electronic music. Clients include Smashing Pumpkins, Elton John, Brett Anderson (Suede), Tiesto, Dub Gabriel feat. Michael Stipe, Sister Bliss (Faithless), Asian Dub Foundation, David J, Imaad Wasif, Chocolate Genius, Alex Parks, T-Power, MJ Cole, HBO’s Big Love, and The Sopranos title track composers, Alabama 3.
Recent projects:
- strings for the new Smashing Pumpkins album, Teargarden by Kaleidyscope
- strings for HBO’s premier primetime US TV show, Big Love
- composing the score for the new Jim and Aaron Eckhart feature film, To Be Friends
- composing the score for The Owls, a full length feature film that premieres at the Berlin Film Festival
- playing and recording with the Master Musicians of Joujouka, Dub Gabriel and David J (Bauhaus)
- contracting and recording strings for the new Ray Bradbury movie, Chrysalis
- full string arrangements, chart notation, string contracting and solo featured violin performance for a new record by Michael Stipe (REM) with producer Dub Gabriel
- strings for Smashing Pumpkins
- live electric violin with Dub Gabriel / Meat Beat Manifesto at the Knitting Factory
- live soundtrack at The Silent Movie Theatre, presenting a new score for Ingmar Bergman’s classic movie ‘The Magician’ to a sold out capacity audience
- recording and playing live with Nick Jago from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
- playing live at a special event at Creative Artists Agency, Hollywood
- playing live electric processed violin for British architecture designers Hayes Davidson
- short-listed by the Beijing Olympic Committee for the official Olympic Games song
- recording with seminal Los Angeles band The Seeds and Sky Saxon
- electronica producers FreQ Nasty and David Starfire
- guitar-based bands Traverso, Jason Heath
Composing full original soundtracks for television projects:
- internationally acclaimed ‘Lonely Planet’ TV series
- arranging and playing acoustic strings for a Mauboussin commercial
- arranging and playing acoustic strings for a song for Fox TV
- prime time UK Channel 4 series, ‘Crime Team’
- BBC2’s award-winning ‘Trouble at the Top’ program
- BBC2’s ‘Correspondent’ programs
- string arrangements for BBC1’s ‘Fame Academy’
In addition to composing filmscores, she collaborates with other film and television composers, arranging, contracting and recording strings for their soundtracks. She also contracts and arranges string ensembles of any size for recording and live shows.
Ysanne studied violin, piano, composition and conducting at the Royal College of Music, London, and sitar in India. Further studies include computer sequencing, studio and midi technology. She has performed internationally.
Ysanne is London-born and Los Angeles-based. She has performed and recorded under the artist name Mee, primarily in Europe. Her new album – soundzero – is out now.
