Krzysztof Penderecki was a Polish composer and conductor.

A student at the Academy of Music in Krakow, he became an instructor shortly after his graduation before writing and composing music for film and television.

Penderecki’s musical scores made an impact on audiences in The Exorcist (1973), The Shining (1980), Heavy Metal  (1981), Wild at Heart (1990), Fearless (1993), Inland Empire (2006), Children of Men (2006), Shutter Island (2010) and Ready Player One (2018).

He also contributed to scoring the television shows Black Mirror and Twin Peaks.

Penderecki was twice nominated for Primetime Emmys: once in 1995 for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Direction for The 38th Annual Pablo Casals Festival, and again in 1996 for Outstanding Music Direction for The 39th Annual Pablo Casals Festival.

Penderecki died March 29, 2020, in Kraków, Malopolskie, Poland. He was 86.