Biography All Music Guide Wikipedia
All Music Guide:
Ronan Hardiman is one of Ireland's premier composers of traditional music, responsible for the score to Lord of the Dance as well as many Irish films and television series. Born in Dublin to a father highly placed in Irish broadcasting, Hardiman listened to rock & roll and pop as a child (while his siblings preferred traditional Irish music). He worked as a clerk at the Bank of Ireland for twelve years, and occasionally playing in pop bands during the 1980s. After quitting his job, though, he composed material based more on Irish traditions than pop music, specifically for radio and television; months later wrote the theme music to the documentary My Riviera, which became quite well-known in Ireland.
During the next few years, Hardiman composed for Coca-Cola and Guinness and gained his reputation as Ireland's best contemporary composer. He was approached by Michael Flatley, creator of Riverdance, to compose the score to the new production Lord of the Dance. Thanks in large part to the success of the production, Hardiman gained a recording contract through Philips and released his debut album, Solas, in early 1998.
Wikipedia:
Ronan Hardiman (born 1962, Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish composer, famous for his soundtracks to Michael Flatley's dance shows Lord of the Dance, Feet of Flames and Celtic Tiger Live.
Biography
Before 1990 he worked in the Bank of Ireland for twelve years, and occasionally performed in local bands. He was among the most prolific and successful composers in contemporary Irish film and television. Centered in Dublin, his TV work included commissions for the title music for RTÉ Irish National Television Network News, and the original score for the natural history series Waterways, as well as a number of commercial spots for Guinness products and the Irish National Lottery. In motion pictures, Hardiman earned acclaim for his score to the 1996 feature My Friend Joe, which garnered the Crystal Bear for Best Children's Film at the Berlin Film Festival. Also in 1996, Hardiman was contacted by Flatley, with the resulting soundtrack to Lord of the Dance becoming an international hit; the composer's debut solo album, Solas, followed in 1998, and a year later he resurfaced with Feet of Flames. His 2000 release, Anthem, blended the Celtic sounds that he was famous for with more pop influences. The track "Ancient Lands" from Anthem was used by the 2002 Olympic men's figure skating champion, Alexei Yagudin, in his program "Overcome".
