Anne-Sophie Versnaeyen is a French film composer and singer-songwriter based in Paris.
Building on her classical training at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris—specializing in sound professions—she has developed a brilliant career as a film composer, notably writing the score for Nicolas Bedos’s *La Belle Époque*, which received 11 César nominations and premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.
*La Belle Époque* follows several other film releases, including: Rayhana’s *À mon âge, je me cache encore pour fumer* (winner of the Mediterranean Film Festival Grand Prix); Laurent Charbonnier’s documentary *Chambord*—celebrating the Château de Chambord’s 500th anniversary—for which she was named “Breakthrough Composer of the Year” by the IFMCA; and *Mon Cousin*, the latest film by Jan Kounen (*Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky*). She also composed the score for *OSS 117: Alerte Rouge en Afrique Noire*, the latest film by Nicolas Bedos and the newest installment in the hit *OSS 117* series.
From her very first feature film—Jérôme Le Gris’s *Requiem for a Killer* (2011), starring Mélanie Laurent—Versnaeyen’s music has been distinguished by a bold, distinctive orchestral style shaped by her classical training as a violist. Her enduring connection to the viola has profoundly influenced her approach to composition, keeping her grounded in the linear, melodic, and contrapuntal dimensions of music. It also shapes her use of instrumental color, as she favors dark, resonant textures created by carefully chosen ensembles—blending low woodwinds like bass clarinets and bassoons with the richer tones of strings such as violas and cellos. This approach is clearly evident in *La Belle Époque*, where that rich sound blends seamlessly with tango-inspired accents. Her meticulous attention to color and atmosphere extends to her use of electronics, which she harmoniously integrates with the acoustic elements of her scores.
Another major influence on her style is her love of songwriting, for which she uses the guitar or piano as a foundation. Her songs have been brilliantly featured in numerous films and series, including: *Spread Your Wings* (2019), *Women* (for Imany, 2020), *Mia and the White Lion* (2018), *La Vallée des loups* (2018), *No Second Chance* (lyrics by Harlan Coben, 2015), *Interdites d’école* (2014), *Jusqu’au dernier* (2014), *Maman a tort* (2018), and *Maybe a Love Story* (2018).
Versnaeyen’s film scores draw on extensive industry experience, encompassing music for short films such as *Touiza* (2018), *À la Poussière* (2019), and *Replay* (2020), and documentaries like *The Devil Dogs* (2017) and *Terres Extrêmes* (2017), as well as additional music for scores by renowned French composer Armand Amar—notably *Marche avec les loups* (2019), *Maybe a Love Story* (2018), *No Second Chance* (2015), *Mystère* (2020), *The Surrogate Mother* (co-composed, 2015), *Spread Your Wings* (2019), *Women* (2020), *Mia & The White Lion* (2018), *The History of Love* (2016), *Un sac de bille* (2017), and *L’école buissonnière* (2017).
Versnaeyen’s talent is distinguished by its versatility. An innate, all-encompassing musicality allows him to maintain a unique voice while adapting to the demands of each project—moving with ease from the sweeping cinematic orchestral compositions of *Requiem for a Killer* to the subtle world music influences of *I Still Hide To Smoke*, as well as the original tangos of *La Belle Époque* and the energetic big-band arrangements of *OSS 117*.
