Nobuo Uematsu

Born in Kōchi, Japan, in 1959, Nobuo Uematsu taught himself piano while playing in rock bands before joining video game publisher Square in 1985. Initially responsible for music on various titles, he quickly assumed musical direction of the Final Fantasy series and composed nearly all of the numbered mainline entries up to Final Fantasy IX (2000); he also contributed to the soundtracks of Final Fantasy X (2001) and Final Fantasy XI (2002). His work at Square and Square Enix led him to develop a musical language that blends orchestral themes, progressive rock, Celtic influences, pop songs and piano pieces, with melodic motifs associated with characters playing a central role. After leaving Square Enix in 2004, Uematsu pursued an independent career, founded the label Dog Ear Records and worked on other Japanese role‑playing games such as Blue Dragon (2006), Lost Odyssey (2007) and The Last Story (2011). At the same time he formed the groups The Black Mages and later Earthbound Papas, in which he rearranged Final Fantasy compositions and other scores into rock and live versions. Uematsu’s music has been released on numerous recordings—such as the Final Fantasy VII Original Soundtrack (1997)—and is regularly performed in symphonic concerts in Japan, Europe and North America, at the intersection of video game music and classical and rock repertoires.