Lesley Barber has scored a string of award-winning and highly acclaimed projects, most notably Kenneth Lonergan's Oscar-nominated film, Manchester by the Sea. A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Class of 2016, Lesley was recently elected to represent the music branch on the Board of Governors for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
A multi-instrumentalist, conductor and pianist, Lesley writes music marked by intelligence and emotional depth. Barber's interest in modern electronic programming, loops, and effects adds dimension to her work, creating hybrid atmospheric scores with lush orchestration with an innate ability to bring the essential to light and avoid the cliché.
Lesley’s recent films include Late Night, directed by Nisha Ganatra and starring Emma Thompson; Mindy Kaling's Four Weddings and a Funeral. series; American Woman, produced by Killer Films and directed by Semi Chellas; Stephanie Laing's Irreplaceable You; and Nappily Ever After, directed by Haifaa al-Mansour.
Her distinguished list of credits also includes Lonergan’s Oscar-winning You Can Count On Me; Jerry Rothwell’s award-winning documentary How to Change the World; Patricia Rozema’s Mansfield Park; Mira Nair’s Golden Globe winning Hysterical Blindness; Mary Harron’s Moth Diaries; the children’s classic Little Bear with Maurice Sendak; Yo-Yo Ma: Six Gestures; and Boaz Yakin's Boarding School.
Lesley is a proud and active member of the Alliance for Women Film Composers, which has taken a leading role in the much-publicized diversity conversation now occurring in Hollywood. She has a passion for good food, great cities and interesting company.