Rona is a contemporary film composer, recording artist, and performer. He has worked around the world, using both traditional musicians and modern technologies. He began composing for dance, theater, galleries and contemporary concert venues. Eventually he became an in-demand studio musician, arranger, ethnic woodwind player, sound designer, synthesist and music programmer in
Los Angeles and
New York City. He worked on films and records before landing his first solo composing project, scoring the TV drama series
Homicide: Life On The Street for director
Barry Levinson. Since then he has scored a number of other films and television projects with directors such as
Ridley Scott,
Steven Spielberg,
Wong Kar-wai,
Robert Altman,
Steven Soderbergh,
Mark Pellington,
Stephen Hopkins,
Jonathan Demme,
Frank Darabont and many others. He was commissioned to compose a concert for the
2008 Beijing Olympics which toured
China. Among his album projects, Rona recorded and performed as a member of
Jon Hassell’s group, during which he co-composed and produced
City-Works Of Fiction, a record for
Opal Records (now on
Rykodisc). The group toured and performed with producer/composer
Brian Eno. Rona has performed with the Eastern fusion ensemble
Axiom of Choice and appears on their
Narada records. His music is on the Transplanet series on Triloka Records, the electronica compilation "Leaves From The Tree", and "Elysium For the Brave" (by Persian singer
Azam Ali). Rona has been chronicling his experiences in the film music world over the past several years in his column
The Reel World in
Keyboard Magazine. The column is also the basis of his book on film music. ==Awards and honors==