Meena Ysanne studied composition, conducting and violin at the Royal College of Music in London before adding viola and cello to her instruments list in the 90s, alongside programming technology and drum machines. She uses her classical conservatoire training as a foundation, but breaks the rules with extended techniques, to create a unique sound palette that’s she’s been exploring since the 80s, when she first started going beyond classical norms. Her deep experience is in the imperfections, delivered with precision, control, excellence, subtlety, and passion.
She has an extremely diverse output that spans music for TV, film and video game scores, to arranging strings for alternative rock, pop, and EDM artists.
Meena arranges, composes, and conducts symphony orchestras and small ensembles for un-classical projects as well as having engineering chops for small projects. Her multi-discipline collaborations include compositions for movies, commercials, live theater, opera and dance, in the UK, Europe, Asia and the States. She has shared studio time with the world's most cherished artists in the USA, Europe and Asia, bringing a global perspective to her work.
Meena's strings have graced the world's most esteemed artists from every genre, including Elton John, Tiesto, and Christina Perri, who she toured with throughout the USA. She has recorded for Tilda Swinton, Cat Powers, and Michael Stipe, composed music for ads, TV and games, two movie soundtracks (including one for Aaron Eckhart), and music for MoMA, ENO, Peter Sellars, Laurie Anderson, and Psychic TV. She is best known for her work with The Smashing Pumpkins, who she's recorded and toured with, as well as arranging and conducting a 44-piece symphony orchestra for their music.
Meena composes music for varied media, including her recent original soundtracks for Vans and for Chanel. She has composed original scores for feature films, TV, commercials, and streaming video content outlets.
Meena was the youngest - and only female - composer represented by George Martin’s management company, Air-Edel, during her time with this organisation, which came to an end in 2004, when she moved from London to LA.
The largest stadium audience who experienced Meena's orchestral arrangements was in Denmark - an 80,000 people stadium show, with Brett Anderson (Suede). The largest live audience for her strings was 100,000 people at PinkPop, playing Adagio for Strings with Tiesto.
Since 2016 she has occasionally presented her music within immersive sensory experiences called YNTEGRITY, the latest in a long line of solo music projects, from her first album released in 1996 to her most recent 2013 solo release, The Mermaid Song. She recorded and conducted The City of Prague Symphony Orchestra for The Mermaid Song, selling 24,000 copies in an innovative brand / non-profit partnership.
Her YNTEGRITY experiences launched in New York City in September 2016, combining her own music with music from celebrated guest songwriters Billy Corgan and Shepard Fairey's band NØISE. The experience is featured in Huffington Post, Yahoo! News, Cool Hunting, and in international newspapers from the UK to Singapore.
She presented a TEDxTalk about this work in May 2017.
She tours internationally playing violin, viola and cello, notably for Smashing Pumpkins, Christina Perri and Tiesto.
Her focus is on MTA, which she is building with her team in London, Los Angeles, and New York. An announcement will be made in 2020. The project has pivoted with these times, and has found new significance due to Covid-19.
Meena’s original name was Ysanne Spevack, but she has lived and worked under the artist names Mee and Meena Ysanne for much of her career, from 1990 until the present. She is currently working on a significant new project.
Meena's back catalogue of pre-cleared tracks can be streamed HERE.
Meena Ysanne composes music based on new and emerging neuroscience, that integrates all the senses. She creates multi-sensory immersive experiences on a foundation of her music. She includes content to trigger the senses - hearing, sight, smell, taste, touch - within her music, creating integrated cohesive experiences that are memorable, emotional and deeply engaging. Her work is based on a deep knowledge of newly emerging neuroscience to create experiences that are rigorously accurate in terms of the development and deployment of ideas.
Meena presented a TEDxTalk in May 2017 about this, which included the premier of a new piece she composed and recorded with the City of Prague Symphony Orchestra, for the color blue, and for the oceans.
Her sensory experiences have been praised internationally, including by The Huffington Post, who called her experiences:
'undoubtedly the happiest place in New York City.' The Huffington Post
Visit YNTEGRITY to find out more, but first, watch her TEDx Talk here.
Brands have unique communities around them, with unique emotional needs. Music connects communities, and music ignites emotions. That's why music and brands are natural partners, alongside non-profits, who have deeply committed communities, and with emerging technology like AR which also deeply binds with our emotions.
Meena has worked with Whole Foods Market, LUSH Cosmetics, Chanel, Nordstrom, Siemens, Levi's, ZICO (Coca Cola), American Express, Intercontinental Hotels, Ted Baker, British Aerospace, Jaguar, and media clients, including Sony, EMI, Virgin, CAA, BBC, Discovery, Taiwan Television (TTV), M&C Saatchi and BBH.
She works with non-profits including Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Animals Asia, Childfund, and Elton John Aids Foundation.
Her orchestral music has a unique ability to enhance a sense of luxury while connecting with mainstream audiences - she knows how to push an orchestral sound so it doesn't sound old-fashioned, and instead sounds cool and relevant. That's what makes her sound unique, and a valuable asset for brands and non-profits to connect with interesting and curious hearts and minds.
