By McKinsleigh Smith
Chad Cannon’s musical journey has taken him far: from violin lessons at age 4 to Harvard, Juilliard, film collaborations, and an Emmy nomination. This week, the composer and violinist is returning to Utah for a cause close to his heart: raising awareness about the fragile state of the world’s coral reefs through his multimedia concert, Music for the Ocean, to be performed at the Waterford School in Sandy, Utah on November 13.
Cannon composed the production last spring in Pasadena, California, as his neighborhood recovered from the devastating Eaton fire that destroyed thousands of structures nearby. The fire, which stopped just two blocks from his home, was a life-changing experience that reshaped his sense of priorities. Seeking healing, he turned to the ocean and discovered a new world beneath the surface – along with the sobering reality that coral reefs are rapidly dying due to climate change and pollution.
Inspired by marine biologist Juli Berwald’s book Life on the Rocks and her nonprofit, Tela Coral, Cannon decided to use his music to advocate for ocean conservation. While ocean activism might seem an unlikely path for someone raised in landlocked Utah, Cannon’s childhood trips to Newport Beach left a lasting impression, connecting him emotionally to the sea. That connection has now grown into a mission to protect marine life through art.
Cannon’s musical background is rich and varied. A Highland High School graduate and former Deseret News Sterling Scholar, he studied violin and Japanese at Harvard before earning a composition degree from Juilliard. His career in Los Angeles led him to work alongside orchestrator Conrad Pope on major films like The Hobbit trilogy. A Sundance Institute fellowship brought him back to Utah in 2016, where his work on the documentary American Factory won an Oscar in 2020. He also received a 2022 Emmy nomination for composing the score for Exposing Muybridge, starring Gary Oldman.
Now working as a freelance composer from his Pasadena home, Cannon continues scoring for film, television, and video games, but his deeper passion lies in conservation. After recent dives in Honduras revealed both vibrant and devastated coral reefs, he felt an even greater urgency to act.
Through Music for the Ocean, Cannon hopes to inspire others to appreciate and protect these essential ecosystems. You can catch him in Sandy alongside pianist Hui Wu on November 13. A second performance is planned for November 14 in Spring City, Utah.
After the concert, an Ocean Science/Coral Conservation discussion and Q&A will be held with Dr. Juli Berwald (Co-Founder of Tela Coral) and Lynn de Freita (Executive Director of FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake). This will last around 20 minutes.
Tickets are on sale here. Make sure to follow Chad Cannon on Instagram. You can watch a performance of his song “Bioluminescence” from Music for the Ocean below!