Choral languages and ancient worlds: The music of Christopher Tin

Christoppher Tin is celebrated the world over for his history-making music in games, on screen, and on many a concert stage on the lips of a choir.

"I wrote that song you sang in that language you don't speak", reads Tin's single biographical phrase across his social media. No matter the text and where it comes from, Tin's music knows no borders, and comes alive through his many collaborations with musicians from numerous musical traditions.

Listen below to Christopher Tin chat with Meena Shamaly about his love of choir, language, and stories, playing in the space between tradition and the unexpected, and how one video game soundtrack led him down the path to opera:

Baba Yetu, the first piece of video game music Tin ever wrote (as a theme to 2005's Civilization IV), went on to become the first piece of video game music to ever win a Grammy award, forever changing the mainstream understanding of the power of the medium. When the Recording Academy finally created a dedicated video game category in the 2023 Grammy Awards, Tin once again made history by having his score for the 2022 game Old World be one of the inaugural five nominated albums. 

Along with scores for machines colonizing Mars in Offworld Trading Company and pro golf simulation in the PGA Tour sereis, Tin's output in the world of video games is as diverse as it is constantly surprising. His career extends to the world of film (such as creating Mandarin big band arrangements for Crazy Rich Asians) and collaborating with ensembles such as the Soweto Gospel Choir and the Angel City Chorale. In 2023, his work has led him to an opera commission, where he's been tasked with creating a new ending for Puccini's famously unfinished masterpiece, Turandot.