Education
California Institute of the Arts
Awards & Distinctions
GRAMMY Award - 1996
Composer - Super Size Me, Academy Award Nominated Film
Audio Director, Nickelodeon Digital - Kids Screen, Webby and BDA Award winner
One of the foremost figures in the field."
What is your hometown?
San Francisco
What is your favorite recording?
Not fair!
What are you passionate about outside of music?
There are things outside of music?
Who were your major teachers?
I was extremely fortunate to study with composers Stephen “Lucky” Mosko, Mel Powel, Morton Subotnik and Micheal Jon Fink
What is a favorite quote that you repeatedly tell students?
“Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.”
― Frank Zappa
What was the defining moment when you decided to pursue music as a career?
It appears that I was pre-defined as I have always been a musician since I started guitar lessons at 6 years old, it was never a question of choice, for some unknown reason, music chose me!
What was a turning point in your career?
When my first album was released by an actual real record label in 1993
If you weren't a musician or teacher, what do you think you would be doing now?
Taking a nap
If you could play only three composers for the rest of your life, who would they be?
Again, not fair!
From a music history perspective, what year and city are most important to you?
New York City in the 1950’s
What are your most important collaborations?
Working with legendary composer David Shire on my score to the Re-Taking of Pelham 123
Working with Morgan Spurlock on Supersize Me
Having the honor to work with the amazing & talented drummer & percussionist Mr. Michael Evans Michael Evans (11 October 1957–13 August 2021)
What recordings can we hear you on?
To numerous to mention, please go to my website.
What is your unrealized project?
I have always wanted to compose a Broadway musical!
Critically acclaimed as "One of the foremost figures in the field" Composer Steven Horowitz is the executive director of Technology and Applied Composition (TAC) program at SFCM, a position he took over in January, 2024.
Horowitz comes to SFCM after 23 years as Audio Director at Nickelodeon where he worked on scoring hundreds of beloved video games as well as garnering him Webby, Kid Screen and BDA awards.
Horowitz is well known for his original score to the Academy Award nominated film Super Size Me. His compositions have also appeared in television series like I Bet you Will and Casino Cinema for MTV Networks. Horowitz was honored with a GRAMMY award in 1996 for his engineering work on the album True Life Blues, the Songs of Bill Monroe. In addition to his work in dance, film, television, cartoons and video games, Horowitz also has a robust catalog of chamber and concert music.
Horowitz experience reaches from the recording studio to the classroom, where as a professor at San Francisco State University where he developed a groundbreaking curriculum in music for visual media. Horowitz is also the author of The Essential Guide to Game Audio: The Theory and Practice of Sound for Games on Focal press, and newest book The Theory And Practice Of Music For Games, published January 2024.
Horowitz studied at the California Institute of the Arts with composers Mel Powell, Morton Subotnick , Micheal Jon Fink and Stephen "Lucky" Mosko. In addition to his teaching at San Francisco State University, he has also lectured at UCSC, AAU, New York University, California Institute of the Arts, and the Berklee College of Music. He currently resides in San Francisco with his wife and son.
Technology and Applied Composition