Looking for an organic orchestral sound? I'm your guy :) I've composed & orchestrated music for Disney, Pixar, the San Francisco Symphony, the Budapest Symphony Orchestra, the Moscow Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra and many more. This is what I live for and I find absolute joy in helping people take their projects to the next level.
Hi! My name is Marcos Barilari and I'm a composer and orchestrator for concert and film.
I specialize in the production of dense symphonic arrangements and rich orchestrations that embody the spirit of classic film scores. So if you need that massive sounding orchestral score for the screen or live performance, I'd love to hear from you.
SERVICES:
- ORIGINAL MUSIC: I can enhance your project with bespoke music.
- ORCHESTRATION: Whether you need to orchestrate music for the big screen or you're a songwriter looking to take your music to the next level, I'm here for you.
- MIDI MOCKUPS: I make completely polished, mixed and ready to go sampled orchestral mockups for your project.
- ENGRAVING & COPYING: All sheet music I edit is neat and organized, a MUST for the recording session or rehearsal to flow.
After we talk about your project and discuss what you need, I will dive into my studio and start scoring. The end result can be a completely polished and mixed sounding virtual orchestra or a professionally engraved masterscore for live use or studio recording.
Please read my reviews as they say more about me than i ever could. I know what it's like to be the artist and I'll NEVER do anything with your project that doesn't make me proud...Working with me is always fun, easy and the final result will blow you away ;)
Let's make something wonderful!
Send me a note through the contact button above.
Credits
Endorse Marcos Barilari113 Reviews - 19 Repeat Clients
check_circleVerifiedWorking with Marcos for the third time has been another fantastic experience. He is a talented professional who consistently delivers top-tier quality, pays attention to every detail, and communicates effortlessly. Highly recommended!
check_circleVerifiedWorking with Marcos was everything I hoped for and more. I brought him a very delicate, personal song, and he didn't just respect the brief - he elevated it far beyond anything I could have imagined. The first listen brought me to tears. Fast, exactly as agreed, and completely professional from start to finish - he understood what the song needed and delivered it flawlessly.
Marcos, thank you so much - my biggest wish right now is to have another song to work on together. Until next time!
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This is my second consecutive collaboration with Marcos, and it’s always an absolute pleasure to work with him! He is a highly skilled professional with an exceptional orchestral vision. He transformed my piano demo into a fabulous, full-fledged orchestral track.
I’m already looking forward to starting our next project together very soon! Highly recommended!
check_circleVerifiedFrom the first initial message, Marcos put into words exactly the feel and everything I envisioned for this song. I immediately knew I could trust him to take this song to a new level and he absolutely did! His orchestration brought me to tears! Looking forward to more in the future!!
check_circleVerifiedI always enjoy working with Marcos. Not only is he very reliable and easy to work with, but he also brings his own creative energy to the project, coming up with additional ideas and solutions that make the music feel truly complete.
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Working with Marcos has been an absolute pleasure. He is talented, competent, and truly understands the client's vision. He delivered everything perfectly, showing great professionalism and attention to detail. I highly recommend him and I am definitely looking forward to collaborating with him on my next projects!
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Working with Marcos was effortless. He is a musical genius and completed an entire orchestral arrangement for me in like 3 days. Nailed it on the first try. No revisions needed. An absolute joy to talk to as well. He didn't need to be told anything. He just knew exactly what to do. Couldn't have had a better experience. Definitely hope to work with him again!
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I am very happy with the work Marcos provided. He is professional, responsive, and communicates quickly.
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Really cares about your music and puts his best into it. Thank you!
check_circleVerifiedExcellent, patient, and extremely creative. He turned my simple acoustic sad song into something from another world. I absolutely recommend Marcos. An Amazing Talent.
check_circleVerifiedAnother compositions with Marcos and again I am extremely happy with his beautiful arrangement. A true professional and a fantastic person to work with. Highly recommend!
check_circleVerifiedI can’t say enough about Marcos Barilari—he absolutely crushed the arrangement on my version of U2’s “One.” Taking on an iconic song is no small task, but Marcos brought incredible creativity, taste, and musical intelligence that elevated the track. His instincts are world-class. Every choice felt intentional, emotional, and perfectly balanced—honoring the original while making it feel fresh and unique. He’s a total pro—great communication and fully committed. Highly recommend.
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Marcos has been incredible to work with. He took one of my piano, violin and cello pieces and elevated it into something that genuinely feels world class. The level of detail, musicality and care he brings is next level, and you can tell he really understands how to shape a piece into its full potential. Beyond that, he’s just great to work with. Clear, professional, and genuinely invested in the music. I’ve learnt so much through the process and I’m looking forward to doing more together.
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I value every collaboration that I have had with Marcos on all my compositions. In this project he really brought exceptional musical insight and care, capturing the composition’s key moments and strengthening them with great sensitivity and clarity. His thoughtful edits and re-orchestration elevated the work to its highest level while fully honoring the integrity of my composition. The result remains faithful to my original vision. Highly recommended!
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Marcos is a true PROFESSIONAL. Working with him on our orchestral arrangement was an absolute pleasure. He turned my piano score into an orchestral masterpiece! Left me speechless, covered in goosebumps, emotional, and SO GRATEFUL to hear my song played on such a grand scale in such a beautiful way .. WOW!
His attention to detail was A++, his communication was A++ and his skill level and expertise was A++. He is a GENIUS! I am SO happy I chose him and I cannot wait to send him my next piece!
check_circleVerifiedI cannot recommend Marcos enough, amazing composer, passionate about his work, and he found exactly the right sound and feel for my song. I hope we can work together again soon.
check_circleVerifiedMarcos absolutely crushed it. I needed a complex orchestral part and he delivered flawlessly. Super easy to work with and clearly a pro at what he does. Highly recommend if you need anything orchestration related!
check_circleVerifiedMarcos Barilari is a world-class composer and orchestrator! His ability to bring emotion, depth and cinematic power to our piece is absolutely breathtaking. Working with Marcos has been one of the most seamless and inspiring creative collaborations I’ve experienced. If you're looking for a professional who will take your music to the next level with Orchestrated heart, skill and precision, Marcos is your guy. I can’t wait to work with him again! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Marco did an outstanding job orchestrating my piano piece. What began as a simple lullaby became a sweeping, cinematic theme with all the magic and emotional lift of a Disney score. He was professional, communicative, and clearly passionate about his craft. Marco took great care to honour the heart of the original while enhancing it with colour, depth, and imagination. I couldn’t be happier with the result—highly recommended!
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I worked with Marcos to complete a piano concerto that I composed in fits and starts over the past 30 years, with Marcos as re-orchestrator, transcriptionist and copyist/engraver. He has been brilliant at every step of the process. Marcos is a first-rate composer himself, which is essential: he can intuit musical intent and help realize any piece's potential and convey all the right sonic textures and emotion. He's been an absolute pleasure to work with. You won't regret hiring him!
Interview with Marcos Barilari
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: I'd say it has to do with the term "orchestration" and how it's often confused with the arranging process of working on the melody, themes, form, texture and whatnot before even talking about how to orchestrate it. But at the end of the day it's really just a silly and harmless misconception, and I completely understand when someone simply wants to transform their ideas into an orchestral version.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: There are two key questions I always ask. First if they need me to produce the orchestration with pro samples or if they need me to engrave the full score and part sets for a recording session. And secondly, I always ask about how much material can they provide for me to do my work (e.g. MIDI file, a sketch of the score, sheet music, reference audio)
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Right now I'm arranging and orchestrating music for a new Pixar in Concert show! Always a fun experience :)
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: I'm taking a philosophical stand here: Definitely analog. I'm a sample library junkie but really old school at the same time. I believe that music has to be written, on paper, by hand and on a piece of paper. The more organic, the better ideas come out of my head.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: If you're orchestrating a song, keep an open mind and be creative, truly use the orchestra. Don't just double a line or thicken a guitar riff, you already have the band to do that. Do with the orchestra what the band cannot.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Bruno Montonatti and Matias Menarguez, they've been respectively my go to mixer and drummer for many years. We've shared many projects together, including live gigs, and they are the most professional and cool people I have ever met.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: Usually, when it's a production that's going to be recorded live with an orchestra and there´s not going to be a fancy mockup, they're worried about the approval process since they can't read music, but in those cases I always share a demo using the latest version of Noteperformer in Sibelius, which is more than enough for the process and everyone is always very happy with it.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I'd love to score an animated feature by Brad Bird. Simply because I love animation and I think he's a living legend.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Honestly, I work on all kinds of music on a daily basis, and it amazes me how many people recognize the added value of an orchestra in their productions.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Creativity. The orchestra is not there just to thicken the sound. There's a whole world of possibilities that the orchestra has to offer through its infinite colors, and through that I bring a new dimension of sophistication and interest.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Being able to share the joy of music with others every day. I think that's a blessing.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: This is all about communication. Please be as clear as you can about what you want. I don't need you to speak in musical terms, that's my job. Neither in terms of emotions, that's music's job. Just try to express what music you need, why you need it and what's supposed to achieve in terms of clear concepts.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: A piano, a pencil, a pencil sharpener, an eraser and a ream of staff paper.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I've been doing this since I was 11. I started out playing guitar in hard rock bands and taking classical piano lessons on the side (eclectic, yeah). After finishing school I started my oficial academic formation studing jazz guitar and arrangements. Over time I began to fall in love with classical music and that led me to my studies in composition at the national conservatory.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Actually all my works in concert music are very different from each other. Composing means a different thing every year for me. But I guess I could say that my music is very schizophrenic. I like contrast. That a strong and cutting gesture can coexist with an expressive and cantabile line at the same time. I believe music should always be saying something, otherwise there would be no reason to write it.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have my own studio in Buenos Aires with absolutely everything I need: a powerful PC to produce all my ideas, an iPad Pro with Metagrid PRO to speed up my workflow when recording sample libraries o editing a score, a big orchestration table, an A3/Tabloid printer and scanner, lots of paper, countless 2B pencils...and I do all my production and recording on Digital Performer as my main DAW.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Beethoven, Chopin, Ennio Morricone and Thomas Newman
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: That would be 'Mickey Mousing'. That's a project of my own in which I composed and conducted original jazz scores for six Mickey Mouse shorts from the 20's and 30's. I am particularly proud of that one because with lots of hard work I achieved to get hired by The Walt Disney Co. and do several private performances for them. My role in that project was particulary absolute.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: That I will never do with their projects something that does not make me proud.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I like to keep all technology apart from the composing process. I compose and orchestrate with a pencil and not with the computer, even if I'm producing the MIDI mockup afterwards. I firmly believe that the discipline of writing on paper helps develop a greater commitment to your ideas. For me, the computer is a great tool for making mockups, syncing music to picture, finding tempos for hit points, that source of stuff.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: I'm great at developing ideas and creating something huge out of the tiniest motif.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Orchestral arrangements, either produced with sample libraries or recorded live.
I was the Composer & Orchestrator in this production
- El Día Que Me Quieras (Overture)
- Lullaby Of The Tides (Overture)
- Zombies
- You Oughtta Know
- Composer OrchestralContact for pricing
- String ArrangerContact for pricing
- Film ComposerAverage price - $450 per minute
I allow 2 revisions (however I'm flexible on this, most of my clients don't use any). I want you to be 100% satisfied. Turn around times depends on the job, but I work quickly and communicate daily.
- John Williams
- Michael Giacchino
- Ennio Morricone
- MOTU Digital Performer
- Avid Sibelius
- Orchestral Tools Berlin and Ark Series
- iPad Pro with Metagrid PRO
At no additional cost, I will assist you in all the details involved in booking an orchestral recording session and providing real-time feedback to the conductor by monitoring the session from my studio.
- MICKEY MOUSING: A PERFECT COMBINATION OF CARTOONS AND MUSICJun 15, 2023
A band that invites us to travel through time, to remember the first years of silent movies. Yes, there was a time when Mickey Mouse did not speak and was in black and white...READ FULL ARTICLE
- THE FIRST MICKEY MOUSE SHORTS RESCUED BY JAZZJun 15, 2023
Jazz is approaching the little ones through the world of Disney, in the show Mickey Mousing, which combines cartoons with live music and sound effects, recreating the animated cinema of the 20s and 30s of the last century. "The interesting thing is that the shorts are scored with a very different aesthetic from that of the animations", says Barilari. FULL ARTICLE
