Michael AbelsΒ (born October 8, 1962) is an American composer best known for the operaΒ Omar, co-written withΒ Rhiannon Giddens, and his scores for theΒ Jordan PeeleΒ filmsΒ Get Out,Β UsΒ andΒ Nope. The hip-hop-influenced score forΒ UsΒ was short-listed for theΒ OscarsΒ and was even named "Score of the Decade" byΒ TheWrap. Other recent media projects include the filmsΒ Bad Education,Β Nightbooks,Β and Fake Famous, and the docuseriesΒ Allen v. Farrow. His most recent releases includeΒ Beauty, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and is now streaming on Netflix;Β Breaking (formerlyΒ 892), which premiered at Sundance; and his third collaboration with Jordan Peele,Β Nope.
Abels' works also include many concert works, such asΒ At War With OurselvesΒ for theΒ Kronos Quartet,Β Isolation VariationΒ forΒ Hilary Hahn, and the operaΒ Omar,Β co-composed with Grammy-winning singer/songwriterΒ Rhiannon Giddens. Some of these pieces are available onΒ Cedille Records, includingΒ Delights & DancesΒ andΒ Winged Creatures. Recent commissions include a work for theΒ National Symphony Orchestraand a guitar concerto forΒ Mak GrgiΔ.
Abels is a co-founder of the Composers Diversity Collective. This advocacy group increases the visibility of composers of colour in film, gaming, and streaming media.
In 2023, the operaΒ Omar, co-written by Abels andΒ Rhiannon Giddens, won theΒ Pulitzer Prize for Music.
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