BIO

“I don’t write music to explain the story — I write to feel what it’s not saying out loud.”

That’s how Ildar Kamalov approaches each score: with curiosity, restraint, and deep emotional intuition.

 

A composer for film, theater, and contemporary ballet, Ildar blends orchestral and chamber traditions with a modern cinematic language. His music is often described as lyrical, emotionally charged, and quietly powerful — the kind of score that lingers.

 

Originally from Russia and now based in Chicago, Ildar is currently pursuing his MFA in Music for the Screen at Columbia College Chicago. He is a member of the Composers’ Union of the Russian Federation and a recipient of its national composition grant. His work has premiered on Russia 1, the streaming platform START, and on some of Russia’s most iconic stages, including the Gorky Moscow Art Theatre and the Alexandrinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg.

 

Directors and editors often turn to Ildar not just for melodies, but for meaning. He listens closely, writes with instinct, and approaches each project as a collaboration — not a transaction.

 

While he’s worked across genres and formats, he feels most at home in stories that ask for subtlety: internal dramas, silences, slow-burn emotion. He doesn’t chase momentum — he follows the pulse beneath the scene.

 

Ildar doesn’t aim to impress. He aims to understand — and in doing so, create something honest.