Ira Antelis - a life of music
Ira Antelis is a composer and producer with more than 30 years of experience in music, media, and creative development. His work has been recorded by world-renowned artists including Patti LaBelle, Marc Anthony, Christina Aguilera, and many others. He has composed and produced iconic music for major global brands—most notably the legendary “Be Like Mike” campaign for Gatorade—and created theme songs such as Disney’s “Remember the Magic.”
Beyond his commercial and artist collaborations, Ira has played a major role in developing innovative music-driven businesses. He co-founded Audiotree, a platform that has brought more than 1,000 artists and bands into the studio to record live sessions and produce high-quality music videos. He also co-founded Artists and Brands with Daryl Jones, a partnership with McDonald’s that brought artists to major festivals and secured national licensing deals.
For 15 years, Ira served as Music Director at the renowned agency Leo Burnett, where—working closely with Chief Creative Officer Cheryl Berman—he helped pioneer the practice of bringing well-known artists directly into advertising agencies to perform and negotiate licensing agreements. His partner in this venture was Bonny Dolan, with whom he collaborated on numerous high-profile music initiatives.
One of Ira’s greatest passions is composing for piano. His album “Keys for Peace” features 25 pianists from around the world—from South Africa to Australia—performing his compositions to promote peace, unity, and global connection. He also created the website “We Have Loved” to bring attention to all those lives lost during covid.
Ira has composed for multiple dance and theatre companies, including the internationally acclaimed Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. After discovering that music had been written in concentration camps and ghettos during the Holocaust, he created a series of concerts to honor these artists. This effort culminated in a sold-out performance at Carnegie Hall, dedicated to preserving and performing the works of composers murdered during the Holocaust.
A lifelong believer in the power of musical storytelling, Ira continues to write for theatre and has contributed music to numerous original musicals and stage productions. When the Ukraine war broke out he wrote and recorded “We Sing For Ukraine” and went around the country having different singers record the song.
Most recently, Ira applied his creativity beyond music by co-creating 120/Life, a natural blood-pressure beverage that has helped thousands of people improve their health and has grown into a successful, full-scale business.
