Owen Pallett
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Michael James Owen Pallett, born September 7, 1979, is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist. He was born in Mississauga, Ontario and grew up in Milton. Pallett began playing the violin at age three. He studied classical violin and composed his first piece at age 13. Pallett received an Honours Bachelor of Music for Composition from the University of Toronto in 2002. Initially performing under the pseudonym Final Fantasy, Pallett won the 2006 Polaris Music Prize for the album 'He Poos Clouds.' In 2009, Pallett retired the stage name Final Fantasy to avoid copyright infringement. Pallett has recorded and toured with Jim Guthrie, The Hidden Cameras, Royal City, The Vinyl Cafe, Gentleman Reg, and Arcade Fire, co-writing the strings arrangement for their albums 'Funeral' and 'Neon Bible.' Pallett also helped arrange and write string and orchestral parts for Grizzly Bear's 'Yellow House,' Beirut's 'The Flying Club Cup,' The Last Shadow Puppets' 'The Age of the Understatement,' Pet Shop Boys' 'Yes,' and the Mountain Goats' 'The Life of the World to Come.' Along with Win Butler and Régine Chassagne of Arcade Fire, Pallett composed music for the 2009 film 'The Box.' In January 2014, Pallett and William Butler were nominated for Best Original Score at the 86th Academy Awards for their work on 'Her.' Pallett's solo albums include 'Has a Good Home,' 'He Poos Clouds,' 'Heartland,' and 'In Conflict.'