  For over 20 years, composer and sound designer Richie Nieto has been involved with projects for DreamWorks, Lucasfilms, Dimension Films, Sony Pictures, HBO, VH1, FOX Sports, Sony Music, BMG, Warner/Chapell, EA, THQ, Ubisoft, Harmonix and many more of the biggest companies in the entertainment industry. His work can be heard on many commercially-released CDs, feature films, documentaries, video games and over 30 television series for the U.S. and Canada.He was born in Costa Rica. His passion for sound and music was manifested since a very young age – at age 12, he was already part of a garage rock band. Over the next few years, he became a professional musician and recording engineer, writing songs that went to the top of the radio charts, performing on international tours and producing albums for several major-label bands and artists. In 1999 he moved to North America; there he worked on films with composers like Hans Zimmer, Ramin Djawadi and Klaus Badelt, and provided his services to sound and music companies like Machine Head, Media Ventures, Gray Matter and Shoreline Studios in Los Angeles; and Sound Dogs, Bluesound, Crunch Recording, Kitchen Sync and Bullet Digital in Toronto. His love of video games then led to expanding his career focus. Since entering the video game industry, he has composed music and/or designed sounds for Electronic Arts' LITTLEST PET SHOP and NERF franchises over several video games, as well as EA's Nintendo 3DS launch title GARDENS. He also worked on Ubisoft's JAMES CAMERON’S AVATAR: THE GAME along acclaimed composer Chance Thomas, composed music for THQ's MARVEL SUPER HERO SQUAD, and was an official beta tester and track author for Harmonix' ROCK BAND NETWORK. Currently he is a Sound Designer at Ubisoft Toronto, working on the next Splinter Cell title. Awards and Nominations: 2010 Geminis - Best Historical Documentary for "Manson" (finalist) 2010 G.A.N.G. Awards - Music of the Year "James Cameron's Avatar: The Game" (music editor)(finalist) 2010 G.A.N.G. Awards - Best Game Audio Article or Publication (finalist) 2009 ACAM - Composer of the Year in the Progressive Rock category (finalist) 2006 Tribeca Film Festival - Honorary Mention in the Documentary Feature Category for "Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis" (winner) 2005 SIGGRAPH People's Choice Award for "Surly Squirrel" (winner) 2005 Hope and Dreams Film Festival - Best Documentary for "Jambo Kenya" (winner) 2004 Dead By Dawn Film Festival - Best Feature for "Shallow Ground" (winner) 2002 EMMY - Outstanding Made For Television Movie for "The Laramie Project" (finalist) 2002 Academy Awards - Best Animated Feature for "Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron" (finalist) 2000 FULL SAIL UNIVERSITY - Valedictorian and Outstanding Achievement, Recording Arts degree 1993 YAMAHA Music Quest Festival - National competition (winner) |
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