Manouk Roussyalian’s musical journey began in a war-torn country, where-still in his teens-he founded the hard rock band Melancholy as a bold response to the violence around him. The group’s unorthodox sound quickly caught the attention of local authorities, revealing music’s power to challenge deeply ingrained norms. Alongside these rebellious beginnings, Roussyalian supported himself by ghostwriting for international pop artists, demonstrating a versatility that extended well beyond the hard rock stage. Yet as conflict escalated in his homeland, he was ultimately forced to leave, closing one chapter of his artistic life and opening another.
Upon resettling, Roussyalian delved into a broader exploration of musical craft, embracing orchestral traditions and classical forms. He soon realized that no amount of technical mastery could rival the insight gained from real-world hardship-experiences of conflict, injustice, and loss stirred a profound emotional current within his work. In time, filmmaker friends recognized his evolving style and invited him to collaborate on their projects. For Roussyalian, who had always composed with vivid narratives in mind, writing music for actual images felt like a natural evolution of his creative process.
Today, Roussyalian’s credits include German and international productions such as Tatort (dir. Tom Lass, 2022), Immortals (dir. Maja Tschumi, 2024), and Until the Moon is Born in the West (dir. Lea Bethke). His score for Ruth (dir. Yaz Al-Shaater) earned a Best Original Score nomination at the Birmingham Film Festival, followed by contributions to Confetti (dir. Spenser Grammer, 2023), as well as original music for ESPN and the NBA. In 2023, he further expanded his repertoire, premiering new concert works with the Budapest Scoring Orchestra.
Of Armenian descent, Roussyalian describes himself as an “immigrant in the world of art”, referring to a creative mindset that transcends geographical and stylistic boundaries. He is represented by IAG Agency and currently divides his time between Berlin and Los Angeles. In his work, he merges the rebellious spirit of his rock past with the depth of classical music and cinematic storytelling to forge a singular, ever-evolving musical signature.
