Michael Galasso Music
Explore the complete sonic universe of Michael Galasso. From his landmark ECM Records albums to the haunting film scores of Wong Kar-wai and the groundbreaking theatrical collaborations with Robert Wilson, discover a body of work that bridges minimalist classical, world music traditions, and cinematic storytelling. Select a category below to begin your listening journey.
Michael Galasso's second album for ECM Records. A luminous work that weaves violin, guitar, percussion, and double-bass into a seamless tapestry of minimalist beauty and global resonance.
Galasso's debut solo album, a collection of atmospheric chamber pieces that established his signature voice — where Baroque precision meets Middle Eastern modalities and contemporary minimalism.
The iconic soundtrack to Wong Kar-wai's masterpiece. Galasso's wistful, repetitive string compositions became inseparable from the film's languid, melancholic atmosphere.
Directed by Wong Kar-wai
2000 • Hong Kong / France
The score that defined a generation of cinematic melancholy. Galasso's waltz-like strings, whirling without resolution, mirror the restrained longing of the film's central couple.
Directed by Wong Kar-wai
1994 • Hong Kong
An atmospheric, dreamlike score that drifts between the film's two interwoven stories of urban loneliness and fleeting connection in Hong Kong.
Directed by Babak Payami
2001 • Iran / Italy
A delicate, culturally resonant score for this Iranian comedy-drama about a soldier escorting a ballot box across a remote island on election day.
Directed by Sam Garbarski
2002 • Belgium / Luxembourg
A tender, nostalgic score for this family saga exploring Jewish identity, memory, and the unifying power of the tango across generations.
Directed by Derviş Zaim
2002 • Turkey
An evocative score blending Galasso's minimalist sensibility with Turkish musical traditions for this meditation on tradition, calligraphy, and modernity.
Directed by Gabriele Salvatores
2003 • Italy
A haunting, childlike score that captures the sun-drenched menace and innocence of this Italian thriller set in the fields of southern Italy.
Directed by Robert Wilson • Comédie-Française
Premiered January 30, 2004 • Paris, France
A critically acclaimed collaboration that entered the repertoire of the Comédie-Française, blending La Fontaine's timeless verses with Wilson's visual poetry and Galasso's evocative music.
Directed by Robert Wilson • After August Strindberg
1998 • Paris, France
Voted best foreign theater production of the 1999–2000 season by the French Theater and Music Critics Society. Galasso's neo-baroque minimalist score, played on viol de gamba, baroque cello, theorbo, and marimba, became inseparable from Wilson's staging.
Choreographers: Karole Armitage, Andy DeGroat, Lucinda Childs
1980s – 2000s
Galasso has composed and performed original music for some of the most innovative choreographers of our time, including Karole Armitage, Andy DeGroat, and Lucinda Childs.
Guggenheim Museum • New York, Bilbao, Berlin, London, Rome, Tokyo
2000 – 2005
The first sound installation ever created for the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Galasso's collage of religious and exotic sounds traveled with the exhibition to Guggenheim Bilbao, Neue National Galerie in Berlin, Royal Academy of Arts in London, Terme Diocleziano in Rome, and Tokyo.
Site-specific installation
2002 • Switzerland
A large-scale immersive sound environment created for the Swiss national exposition.
Site-specific installation
2000 • Paris, France
A resonant sound installation composed specifically for the gothic architecture of the Basilica of Saint-Denis, the traditional burial place of French monarchs.
Michael Galasso's recorded work is available across major streaming and digital purchase platforms. Select your preferred service to begin listening.
The definitive source for High Lines and other ECM releases. Stream or purchase directly from the label that shaped Galasso's recorded legacy.
Stream the complete discography, including High Lines, Scenes, and selected film score tracks, on your preferred streaming platform.
Explore the iconic soundtracks for In the Mood for Love, Chungking Express, Secret Ballot, and other films scored by Michael Galasso.
Music supervisors, filmmakers, and researchers seeking licensing information or archival recordings are invited to contact the estate directly.