Katya Richardson is a Ukrainian-American film composer based in Los Angeles. Throughout her multidisciplinary work, she is drawn to cinematic textures that bridge the gap between stage and screen.

Originally trained as a concert composer and pianist, Richardson has written for the LA Philharmonic and premiered her compositions internationally, from Walt Disney Concert Hall to The Royal Opera House in London. At 13, she was selected as an LA Phil Composer Fellow and in 2016, composed an orchestral fanfare exclusively for the Hollywood Bowl Opening Night / Steely Dan concert.

Within film, Richardson is particularly active in documentaries. She frequently collaborates with Breakwater Studios, and in 2022, garnered a Hollywood Music in Media Award for her score to NY Times Op-Doc, MINK!. Most recently, she composed the score for the 2024 Oscar-winning film, The Last Repair Shop, which earned her a Critics’ Choice Nomination and ASCAP Composers’ Choice Nomination for Best Documentary Score.

Other projects include PBS special Keeping the Pinelands and music arrangements for the 96th Academy Awards. Notably, she has also worked with A-list composer Danny Elfman on Dr. Strange (2022) and Coachella ’22, and with Rob Simonsen on Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021).

Richardson’s creative spirit also brings her to the world of modern dance, with scores for Norwegian National Ballet and Joffrey Ballet. Her most recent work, VORTEX, is a 75-minute collaboration with esteemed British choreographer Russell Maliphant, which debuted at Sadler’s Wells, in May 2023.

Richardson is an alumna of the University of Southern California and a Trustee Scholarship recipient. She is represented by Kraft-Engel Management.