Atli Örvarsson (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈaʰtlɪ ˈœrvar̥sɔn]; born 7 July 1970) is an Icelandic-American BAFTA-winning and Emmy-nominated film score composer. Atli’s credits include composing and orchestrating music for some of Hollywood’s biggest projects, including the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Angels & Demons, The Holiday, The Eagle, Vantage Point, Babylon A.D., Thick as Thieves, The Fourth Kind, and Season of the Witch. Atli’s most recent credits include Apple TV’s Silo and Defending Jacob, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, A Single Shot, NBC series Chicago Fire, and together with Hans Zimmer contributed music to the Zack Snyder Superman reinstallment Man of Steel.[1][2][3]
Originally from the small town of Akureyri, Atli became established in the local music scene at a young age. He earned three platinum and two gold records as a member of the Icelandic band Sálin hans Jóns míns before studying film composing at Berklee College of Music and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He excelled in composing and was awarded the Pete Carpenter Fellowship, which brought him to Los Angeles. He began working alongside TV veteran Mike Post on NYPD Blue and three Law & Order brands. Atli soon caught the attention of composer Hans Zimmer, who extended an invitation to join his team at Remote Control Productions.
Filmography
Film
Television
| Year | Title | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002, 2005 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | NBC | Co-composed with Mike Post |
| 2003–2004 | L.A. Dragnet | ABC | |
| 2006 | Six Degrees | Co-composed with Michael Giacchino & Adam Cohen | |
| 2010 | Law & Order: Los Angeles | NBC | Theme music composed by Mike Post |
| 2012–present | Chicago Fire[6] | ||
| 2014–present | Chicago P.D. | ||
| 2015–present | Chicago Med[7] | ||
| 2017 | Chicago Justice | ||
| 2019–present | FBI | CBS | |
| 2020–present | FBI: Most Wanted | ||
| 2020 | Defending Jacob | Apple TV+ | Theme music composed by Ólafur Arnalds |
| 2022 | Unprecedented | Discovery+ | |
| 2023–present | Silo | Apple TV+ | |
| 2025 | On Call[8] | Prime Video |
Video games
| Year | Title | Studio / Publisher | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Free Realms | Sony Online Entertainment | Main composer[9] |
| 2009 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | Activision | Additional music composed with Lorne Balfe[10] |
| 2013 | Dust 514 | CCP Games Sony Computer Entertainment |
Main composer[11] |
References
- ^ “Atli Örvarsson: Rising Star Composers”. ASCAP. 1 September 2007. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
- ^ Florino, Rick (10 March 2011). “Atli Örvarsson Talks Scoring “The Eagle”“. artistdirect.com. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
- ^ Levine, Sydney (18 February 2016). “‘Rams’ Composer Atli Örvarsson Wins Best Film Score at the 2016 HARPA Awards”. IndieWire. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
- ^ “‘Dongji Rescue’ scored by Atli Örvarsson premieres in UK and US cinemas 22nd August”. Cool Music Ltd. 21 August 2025. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
- ^ Reporter, Film Music (17 May 2026). “Atli Örvarsson Scoring Thea Sharrock’s ‘Ladies First’“. Film Music Reporter. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
- ^ “Credits”. Chicago Fire. NBC. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
- ^ “Credits”. Chicago Med. NBC. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
- ^ “Soundtrack Album for Prime Video’s ‘On Call’ to Be Released”. Film Music Reporter. 9 January 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ “Free Realms credits”. MobyGames.com. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
- ^ “Dust 514”. MobyGames.com. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
- ^ “Dust 514”. GiantBomb. Retrieved 31 January 2025.
External links
- Official website
- Atli Örvarsson at IMDb
- Interview with Atli Örvarsson at FilmMusicSite