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Mark Snow, best known as the game-changing composer for “The X-Files,” has died. Variety reports the composer died at his home Friday in Connecticut. He was 78.
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Snow was a 15-time Emmy nominee, and six of those nominations were for the 200-plus episodes of “The X-Files” he scored. He also received nominations for TV movies and miniseries including “An American Story,” “Children of the Dust,” “Helter Skelter,” “Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All,” and “Something About Amelia.”
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While his work on “The X-Files” may be what he remains most remembered for, he also scored other series like “Blue Bloods,” “Smallville,” “T.J. Hooker,” “Hart to Hart,” and “The Ghost Whisperer.”
“His limitless talent and boundless creativity was matched only by the generosity he bestowed upon other composers who sought his guidance,” said composer Sean Callery, who saw Snow as a mentor. “He would give the most inspiring and intelligent feedback when listening to the work of other young artists (myself included).”
“He combined his decades of experience with the encouragement that composers cultivate: to trust in themselves, embrace their own unique voice, and learn to rely on their own instincts. And he did so with a humor and self-deprecation that made his wisdom all the more enduring.”
He continued that Snow’s “The X-Files” work “brought an entirely new language of musical storytelling to television.”
While Snow started out in the 1970s writing for full orchestra, he would wind up becoming a pioneer in transitioning to an entirely electronic environment. He did most of his work alone in a home studio.
Variety recounts Snow being “amused” when his intro score for “The X-Files” became a hit across Europe. “Nothing really big happens in the song,” Snow said. “It stays in D-minor, there’s no singing, drums or guitars, and it was a smash hit. That’s pretty wild.”
Snow became a frequent collaborator with “The X-Files” creator Chris Carter. Along with scoring the two films “The X-Files” and “The X-Files: I Want to Believe,” he went on to compose the scores for Carter’s other TV series: “Harsh Realm,” “The Lone Gunmen,” and “Millennium.”
Mark Snow is survived by his wife Glynnis, his three daughters, and his grandchildren.
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