Pakk Hui '00 was going to be a doctor. He’d charted a path towards medicine his entire life, earning two advanced degrees in healthcare-related fields.
But he became something different—a composer. Because the music always found him. Even when he was immersing himself in science as a biology major at Union.
“Music has always been an essential part of my life. No matter how much I tried to focus solely on science, I just couldn’t let music go, so I chose to minor in it,” Hui said. “My time at Union was filled with music, from singing with the Dutch Pipers to playing in the Jazz Ensemble.”
“The late Hilary Tann, professor of music, changed everything for me,” he added. “She taught me to compose as if I were telling stories, an idea that resonated deeply with me since I had always loved listening to film soundtracks. Though I had never seriously considered music as a career, my passion for it was too strong to ignore and it became the path I was meant to follow.”
And follow it he has.
Hui has helped score nearly 400 television episodes, including Showtimes’ “American Gigolo” and the latest season of Amazon’s hit show “Reacher.” He has also helped compose the scores for dozens of blockbuster films, like “Furious 7” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” His most recent works include his award-winning scores to “Dear Ernie” and “Roberta’s Rules,” and Hui’s debut feature film, “Sway,” was an official selection at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. The short film, “Tsuyako,” has won over 30 awards from festivals all around the world.
This last one is particularly special to Hui.
“Of the projects I’ve worked on, ‘Tsuyako’ remains one of my favorites. As someone who is part of the LGBTQ+ community, I deeply identify with the main character,” he said. “Set in post-war Japan, it follows Tsuyako, a woman torn between her true self and her duty as a mother and wife.
“The emotional weight of her sacrifice inspired a score that is understated yet deeply moving. It’s a project that continues to hold a special place in my heart.”
Creating music for stories is something Hui loves. The notes, once mixed with the images of a film or show, become so much more than just scene-setting noises.
“Music is an essential part of storytelling because it has the power to guide, and sometimes even mislead, the audience emotionally,” Hui said. “A film’s score doesn’t just accompany the visuals—it shapes the mood, enhances pacing and builds tension and release, making every moment more impactful.”
Good music, too, often exists without the screen.
“When crafting music to help tell a story, I see the narrative as a road map, guiding the melodies, harmonies and textures. In turn, the music itself becomes its own narrative, capable of standing alone while still carrying the essence of the story,” Hui explained. “This is especially true for film music, where the score can take on a life beyond the screen, allowing the story to exist and resonate purely through sound.
“That ability to create something that speaks even when the visuals are gone is what I find most incredible about composing for film and TV.”
Hui, who lives in Los Angeles with his husband, was selected as one of eight composers to participate in the prestigious Universal Composers Initiative in 2021. UCI is NBCUniversal’s one-of-a-kind career advancement program for under- represented composers.
How did Union impact your career path?
“If I hadn’t had the opportunity to minor in music at Union and study under Professor Hilary Tann, I don’t think I would have found the courage to pursue film music. After earning my degree, I stayed at Union to complete an M.S. in healthcare management and later an MBA in health systems administration—still holding onto the idea of a career in medicine. During the time I was in these graduate programs, I often found myself stopping by Professor Tann’s office just to talk about music. She was the first person to truly believe in me and encourage me to follow my heart. After my MBA, I enrolled at Berklee College of Music to study film scoring. Union gave me the foundation—and the nudge— I needed to embark on this path.”
— Pakk Hui ’00, composer
