Sony Classical announces the release of the original motion picture soundtrack of The Maze Runner, by composer John Paesano, available September 16. Directed by Wes Ball, the film is based on James Dashner's New York Times best selling young-adult novel.

The Maze Runner stars Dylan O'Brien in the role of Thomas, who wakes up trapped in a massive maze with a group of other boys with no memory of the outside world other than strange dreams about a mysterious organization known as W.C.K.D. Only by piecing together fragments of his past with clues he discovers in the maze can Thomas hope to uncover his true purpose and a way to escape.

American film composer John Paesano studied classical music with professor Sally Dow Miller of Conservatoire de Paris, and continued his studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he focused on composition. On his path to scoring films on his own, he served minor roles amongst some of the industry's most prestigious composers, including Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams, and Hans Zimmer's Remote Control Productions. In 2012 Paesano received an Annie Award for Best Music for his work on DreamWorks’ animated series Dragons: Riders Of Berk, which is based on the Academy Award® winning film How To Train Your Dragon. In addition to his work on The Maze Runner, Paesano recently scored Sony's sports drama When The Game Stands Tall.

Among the music that has influenced his work on The Maze Runner, John names John Williams‘ celebrated score for Jurassic Park, Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting compositions for Alien, and Hans Zimmer’s emotive score to The Thin Red Line, all of which act like a true character within the story that is being told.

Accordingly, in the score for The Maze Runner, he expresses the mysterious space in which the movie unfolds, the maze, and the intensity and pace of the story: the main protagonist Thomas is alone and confused in a very extraordinary place. As Thomas’ memories and awareness develop, so the score matures musically from its subtle, unsure beginning. Themes that are first presented in an unfinished state slowly evolve into their fully realized form. The organic and primal colors of the composition reflect the primitive environment and tribal mindset of the group that Thomas is cast into. Hybrid and non-traditional colors are added as Thomas makes shocking discoveries about the world outside the maze. Although the score is predominantly dark in tone, it has an underlying quality of hopefulness that reflects Thomas’ point of view.

John Paesano’s thoughtful approach to scoring the film and the quality of his compositions make him an exciting emerging talent. The original motion picture soundtrack of The Maze Runner will be appreciated by movie-goers and lovers of classical film scores.

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