Danny Elfman is an internationally acclaimed film and classical composer who first gained recognition as the singer-songwriter of the rock band Oingo Boingo. Over the past four decades, he has composed more than 100 feature film scores, along with works for television, stage, and the concert hall.
Elfman is best known for his long-standing creative partnership with director Tim Burton, scoring 18 of his films including Batman, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland, and Big Fish. He also wrote the music & lyrics and provided the singing voice of Jack Skellington in The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Beyond Burton, Elfman has frequently collaborated with director Sam Raimi on films such as Spider-Man, Darkman, A Simple Plan, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, as well as with Gus Van Sant on To Die For, Good Will Hunting, and Milk. His music can also be heard in all three Men In Black films, and he wrote the iconic television themes for The Simpsons, Desperate Housewives, Tales from the Crypt, and most recently, Wednesday.
Elfman’s achievements include four Academy Award nominations, a GRAMMY, two Emmy Awards, multiple Saturn Awards, and lifetime achievement honors from The Society of Composers & Lyricists, the Max Steiner Film Music Award, and the Fantasia Festival’s Cheval Noir. His versatility extends to the concert hall, where his nine symphonic works—including three full-length concertos—are performed regularly in the U.S. and Europe. He has also collaborated with artists such as The Weeknd and A$AP Rocky.
In recent years, Elfman returned to his rock roots with the album Big Mess, a fusion of rock and orchestra, which has evolved into the acclaimed concert experience: From Boingo to Batman to Big Mess and Beyond. Premiering at Coachella in 2022, the show blends his new material with Oingo Boingo favorites and beloved film scores, earning rave reviews.
Elfman’s recent projects include composing the music for Universal Orlando’s Dark Universe world, scoring Luc Besson’s Dracula (2025), Gus Van Sant’s Deadman’s Wire (premiering at TIFF 2025), and Sam Raimi’s Send Help (2026). He will also reprise his role as Jack Skellington in The Nightmare Before Christmas Live at the Hollywood Bowl in October 2025.