John Debney is an American composer and conductor whose work spans film, television, video games, and theme park attractions. The son of Disney producer Louis Debney, he grew up in Glendale, California, close to the Walt Disney Studios, earned a degree in music composition from the California Institute of the Arts in 1979, and began his career writing and orchestrating music for Disney before moving into television.
Through the 1980s and 1990s he scored series as varied as A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, The Young Riders, Star Trek: The Next Generation (US, 1987), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (US, 1993), Seaquest DSV (US, 1993), and The Cape, winning several Primetime Emmy Awards along the way. Decades later he returned to episodic scoring with his large-orchestra music for Seth MacFarlane's The Orville.
His feature breakthrough was the lavish symphonic swashbuckler Cutthroat Island (US, 1995), still among his most admired scores. Debney has since become one of Hollywood's most versatile and prolific composers, moving between comedy (Liar Liar, Bruce Almighty, Elf (US, 2003)), family and animated films (Hocus Pocus (US, 1993), The Emperor's New Groove, Chicken Little, The Jungle Book), action (Iron Man 2 (US, 2010), Sin City (US, 2005), Predators (US, 2010)), and musicals (The Greatest Showman). His score for Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ (2004) earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score, and in 2005 he became the youngest recipient of ASCAP's Henry Mancini Award. A frequent conductor of his own music, he remains highly active, with recent credits including Hocus Pocus 2, Kevin Costner's Horizon: An American Saga, and The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants.
Varèse Sarabande - A 25th Anniversary Celebration (Volume 2)
Various Artists
United States / 2003-09-05
Varèse Sarabande (CD Club) VCL 0703 1021
4xCD (Album) / 74 Tracks / 303:33 m:s
Varèse Sarabande A 30th Anniversary Celebration
Various Artists
Germany / 2008-04-15
Colosseum Music Entertainment CVS 6900-4.2
4xCD (Album) / 82 Tracks / 309:24 m:s
Varèse Sarabande: A 30th Anniversary Celebration (A Chronicle of Great Film Music 2003-2008)
Various Artists
United States / 2008-04-15
Varèse Sarabande 302 066 900 2
4xCD (Album) / 82 Tracks / 309:24 m:s
Varèse Sarabande: A 35th Anniversary Celebration
Various Artists
United States / 2013-05-07
Varèse Sarabande 302 067 185 2
4xCD (Album) / 84 Tracks / 309:32 m:s
You, Me & Tuscany (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
John Debney
Worldwide / 2026-04-10
Back Lot Music
Digital (Album)
Hi-Res
/ 28 Tracks / 53:57 m:s
The Young Riders
United States / 2011-01-18
La-La Land Records LLLCD 1152
1xCD (Album) / 19 Tracks / 61:42 m:s
Zathura (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
John Debney
United States / 2005-11-22
Varèse Sarabande 302 066 705 2
1xCD (Album) / 20 Tracks / 44:16 m:s
Zathura (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
John Debney
Germany / 2005-11-22
Colosseum Schallplatten CVS 6705.2
1xCD (Album) / 20 Tracks / 44:16 m:s