JOHN KAEFER is a composer for film, television, multimedia, and the concert stage. A trusted collaborator, John is known for his distinctive musical voice and nuanced, imaginative scores. 

Newly-scored feature films include A SCORE TO SETTLE starring Nicolas Cage/Benjamin Bratt and ONLY starring Leslie Odom Jr./Freida Pinto (2019 Tribeca Film Festival). Other recent film scores include MEATS starring Ashley Williams (2020 Sundance Film Festival), HOW TO BE ALONE starring Maika Monroe/Joe Keery (2019 SXSW), and PARTY BOAT starring comedian Jay Mohr (Sony Pictures/Crackle), as well as the feature documentaries THE DIVINE PLAN, SILENCE PATTON, A POLITE BRIBE, and the 3-part DANCE SCHOOL: JUILLIARD (PBS). 

Active in television, John recently teamed with composer Cliff Martinez on THE WILDS, a new series for Amazon (co-produced with ABC/Disney). Other recent work includes the 2020 Emmy-nominated series COULD YOU SURVIVE THE MOVIES and the drama series SEQUESTERED (Sony Pictures Television/Crackle), as well as the Main Theme and Thematic Music packages for ABC's flagship programs GOOD MORNING AMERICA, 20/20, and the primetime hit show WOULD YOU FALL FOR THAT. Venturing into games and interactive media, John scored the innovative live-action series QUANTUM BREAK (Microsoft Studios/Remedy), developed exclusively for Xbox One. Hailed as a "masterpiece" by Gaming Trend, the revolutionary game blurs the line between episodic television and cinematic gameplay, integrating the two into one seamless, uniquely immersive experience.

An accomplished composer for the concert stage, John’s varied work is programmed worldwide by leading musicians and ensembles. Recently he conducted the Hollywood Chamber Orchestra in the world premiere of his STATES OF MOTION, a three movement concerto for piano and string orchestra, featuring pianist Molly Morkoski. His large orchestral work MOSAIC premiered in Carnegie Hall and performed by the Pacific Symphony as part of its American Composers series. John has received awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, BMI (concert music and TV/film), ASCAP, and the Barlow Endowment, among others. He currently serves on the Board Of Advisors for Composers Now and is Director of the BMI Foundation Pete Carpenter Fellowship. 

John holds a Doctor Of Musical Arts degree from The Juilliard School. He also earned degrees in music composition from Yale University (MM) and the Eastman School of Music (BM). He is currently on the Screen Scoring faculty at New York University.  

When not writing music, John enjoys running (NYC Marathon PR: 3:34), skateboarding, and spending time with his wife and two boys. He also loves playing with synthesizers, especially his Moog Voyager and Prophet 12.

John is represented by Evolution Music Partners in Los Angeles.