Joe Kraemer (born June 21, 1971) is an American composer and conductor of film and television scores. He has worked with director Christopher McQuarrie several times -- The Way of the Gun (2000), Jack Reacher (2012), and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015).
Biography Kraemer was born in Buffalo, New York and raised in Albany, New York. His father and uncle were both musicians, and Kraemer began taking piano lessons at an early age. In high school he befriended an older boy named Scott Storm, who became a professional filmmaker. Kraemer's first film score was for a Super-8 film written and directed by Storm, called Chiming Hour. Kraemer, who also acted in the film, was 15 at the time. Storm later introduced Kraemer to filmmakers Bryan Singer and Christopher McQuarrie.
While attending Berklee College of Music in Boston, Kraemer decided he wanted to be a film composer. Through contacts such as Singer and McQuarrie, he was able to obtain work first as a sound (and occasionally music) editor, before eventually crossing over into television and film composing.
Kraemer's first feature film score was the 2000 film The Way of the Gun, a modern-day western written and directed by Oscar-winner Christopher McQuarrie. The film starred Benicio del Toro, Ryan Phillippe, and James Caan. Though the film performed poorly at the box office, it became something of a cult classic, and some industry insiders began to expect great things from Kraemer.
Over the next few years, Kraemer scored music for the hit TV series Femme Fatales, the docudrama Emerald Cowboy (2003); in 2006 he teamed up with his old classmate Scott Storm for the low-budget crime thriller Ten 'til Noon, which won awards at the film festival level; and in 2008 he scored the direct-to-video thriller Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead, written by J. J. Abrams.
In 2012, Kraemer got his chance, composing the score for the Tom Cruise action thriller Jack Reacher (directed by McQuarrie). His score was nominated in the Best Original Score - Feature Film category at the 2012 Hollywood Music In Media Awards. His credits also include the 2014 film Dawn Patrol, starring Scott Eastwood.
Kraemer worked with McQuarrie and Cruise again when he scored the fifth film in the Mission: Impossible franchise, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015).
Since 2015, Kraemer has been providing music and sound design to a number of audio plays released by Big Finish Productions. These include spin-offs for Doctor Who characters such as Madam Vastra, Missy and Rose Tyler, starring the original actors.
In 2016, Kraemer was commissioned by the Dallas Chamber Symphony to write new music for F.W. Murnau's Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans. The score premiered on October 18, 2016, at Moody Performance Hall with Richard McKay conducting. Selections from the score were recorded and released on Caldera Records.
In 2017, Kraemer composed the score for the teen anthology series Creeped Out on CBBC.
Filmography Film Year Title Director Notes1998BurnScott Storm1999Chi GirlHeidi Van Lier2000The Way of the GunChristopher McQuarrieAlso conductorSlammedMichael Gene Brown2003Hard GroundFrank Q. Dobbs2004Open HouseDan MirvishComposed with Andrew MeltonSomewhereThomas WhelanDynamiteWalter Baltzer2005 All Souls Day Jeremy Kasten House of the Dead 2 Michael Hurst My Big Fat Independent Movie Philip Zlotorynski Composed with Jeremy Sweet The Poseidon Adventure John Putch2006MondayHeidi Van LierTen 'til NoonScott Storm Room 6 Michael HurstGrand JunctionFreddy F. HakimiThe ThirstJeremy Kasten Dead and Deader Patrick DinhutThe DarkroomMichael Hurst2007Sacrifices of the Heart David S. Cass Sr.2008Joy Ride 2: Dead AheadLouis Morneau2010Confession of a GangsterKenneth Castillo2012Jack ReacherChristopher McQuarrieAlso conductor BMI Film Music Award for Best Film Music2013FavorPaul Osborne2014Dawn PatrolDaniel Petrie Jr.2015BonedLaura Lee BahrComposed with Jeremy BroomfieldMission: Impossible – Rogue NationChristopher McQuarrieAlso conductor Original Mission: Impossible themes by Lalo Schifrin IFMCA Award for Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure/Thriller FilmWorld Soundtrack Award for Discovery of the Year2016Blood MoonKenneth Kokin2018Cruel HeartsPaul OsborneComposed with Ian Arber and John MassariThe Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the BigfootRobert D. Krzykowski2020Emily and the Magical JourneyMarcus OvnellPreviously called Faunutland and the Lost Magic2022Old ManLucky McKee
Television Year Title Studio Episode(s)1997Cartoon SushiMTVTeletoon12009Misadventures in Matchmaking52011Femme FatalesCinemax82017Comrade DetectiveAmazon Video6Creeped OutCBBCFamily Channel13
Audiobooks Since 2015, Kraemer has been providing music and sound design to a number of audio plays released by Big Finish Productions. At first, these were mainly Doctor Who Monthly Adventures plays, but Kraemer has moved to work mainly on spin-offs from the main range. Year Title MusicSound Design2015Doctor Who: The DefectorsYesYes2016Doctor Who: Absolute Power2017Doctor Who: Vortex Ice / Cortex FireDoctor Who: The BehemothWith Josh ArakelianDoctor Who: Static2018Doctor Who: Kingdom of LiesDoctor Who: The Helliax RiftJenny - The Doctor's DaughterDoctor Who: Red PlanetsDoctor Who: The DispossessedDoctor Who: The Quantum Possibility Engine2019Missy: Series 1The Eighth of MarchWith Nigel Fairs and Howard CarterThe Paternoster Gang: Heritage 1YesTransferenceNoRose Tyler: The Dimension CannonWith Josh ArakelianThe Paternoster Gang: Heritage 2The Robots 12020The Paternoster Gang: Heritage 3Missy: Series 2NoThe Robots 2YesThe Paternoster Gang: Heritage 4The Robots 3No2021MasterfulYesSpace 1999: Volume 1IncidentalNoThunderbirds: Terror from the StarsYesNoThe Box of DelightsFirst Action Bureau Series 01The Robots 4With Kristin SimpsonDoctor Who: The God of PhantomsYes
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Kraemer scores Jack Reacher Composer Joe Kraemer Delivers Classic Score for ‘Jack Reacher’ Big Finish Productions with Joe Kraemer