Christopher Gunning is a composer of music for films, television and of concert works. His extensive film and TV compositions have received many awards, and he has won four BAFTA awards for 'La Vie en Rose,' Agatha Christie's Poirot, Middlemarch, and Porterhouse Blue, and three Ivor Novello awards for Rebecca, Under Suspicion, and Firelight.
His scores for The Big Battalions, Wild Africa, Cold Lazarus, When the Whales Came, and Winalot Prime have also received nominations for BAFTA and Ivor Novello awards, and his music for the Martini advertising campaign, heard around the world for thirty years, has won three Clio awards.
Christopher recently scored "La Mome," (British title "La Vie en Rose") the major feature film which is receiving widespread acclaim of the life of Edith Piaf starring Marion Cotillard and directed by Olivier Dahan.
He not only composed the score, but also adapted most of the Piaf songs for use in the film. "La Vie en Rose" won Christopher his fourth BAFTA award, and the film was awarded three other BAFTA's including one for Marion Cotillard as 'best actress.
' Chris has composed the scores (including the well-known theme) for most of the films in the 'Agatha Christie's Poirot' series featuring David Suchet as the famous Belgian detective, and also worked on all three series of Rosemary and Thyme featuring Felicity Kendal and Pam Ferris.
Please see the 'Films and TV' page for a comprehensive list of credits.Christopher’s music is heard increasingly in concert halls. As well as performances of his television and film scores, his Concerto for Saxophone and Orchestra and The Lobster have been programmed in various venues including London's South Bank.
The Saxophone Concerto, played by John Harle with the Academy St. Martin in the Fields, has been released on the Sanctuary Classics Label, The Lobster is available on the Meridian label, and the Piano Concerto, Symphony No.
1 and "Storm" have been released by Albany Records. Recent works include concertos for the oboe and clarinet, "Uxbridge Variations" for wind band, and Symphonies no 3 and 4, each scored for a large symphony orchestra.
At the time of writing these, together with the oboe concerto, have just been recorded by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with the composer conducting. This will be released by Chandos Records in May 2009
