Martin Tillman (Zürich, 6 November 1964) is a Swiss composer and world renowned cellistHe has established himself in the motion picture and recording world as one of the most sought after talents of experimental acoustic and electric cello.
Tillman created a revolutionary sound of his own by extending the traditional boundaries of the cello. Since his arrival in the USA in 1988, Martin Tillman has composed and/or performed on over 100 feature films, television series, commercials as well as performances live on TV and on international tours.
Tillman began his studies in Europe and continued with the internationally celebrated cellist, Lynn Harrell.He received his Master's degree in Performance from the University of Southern California in 1989.
Most recently, Tillman has been focusing his creative energy on his own compositions and recording projects. Currently, Tillman has completed" Pirates of the caribbean 4" and "Cowboys and Aliens" .Martin has released several Albums: a solo cello/piano album "A Year in Zurich" released in 2004.
Previous albums by Martin Tillman include: Eastern Twin (Rounders) and Cinematic Volunteer composed and produced by Martin Tillman and Tom Vedvik; Poet: Romance for Cello, composed by Michael Hoppé, cello solos performed by Martin Tillman; and Afterglow (1999, Hearts of Space Records) composed and performed by Michael Hoppe, Tim Wheater, Martin Tillman.
Tillman's highly distinctive style has inspired many musical artists. For Michael Mann's movie Ali Tillman created a chamber-cello score, which also features some original instrumental songs from his album Eastern Twin.
One of the most fruitful collaborations started when he recorded with Hans Zimmer on the 1996 Tony Scott movie The Fan. Since then Tillman has been given the chance to compose and perform for scores such as" Dark Knight", the Davinci Code", Angel and Demons, Narnia, Black Hawk Down, Hannibal, Kingdom of Heaven, Shrek, Spy Game, The Number 23, The Pledge, An Everlasting Piece, Mission: Impossible II, and The Ring.
Tillman is also a frequent collaborator with Harry Gregson- Williams.He has been invited to perform with many renowned recording artists including Sting, Elton John, Alison Krauss, Beck, B. B. King, This World Fair, Tarja Turunen and Tracy Chapman, among many others.
Tillman is also the featured cellist in films and soundtrack albums such as: The Ring Two, Collateral, King Arthur, Cold Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Something's Gotta Give, Man On Fire, Déjà Vu, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Armageddon, Constantine, and The Dark Knight.
He maintains a close friendship with composers Hans Zimmer, Harry Gregson-Williams, among others.
