Koji Kondo

Koji Kondo is a musical composer for many famous games, such as the Mario series and the The Legend of Zelda series. He composed the well-known Super Mario Bros. theme for Super Mario Bros., known around the world even by people that have never played the game, being considered the most well-known video game score ever.

Early years
Kondo was born in Nagoya, Japan. He began taking lessons in the electronic organ early in his life, only at the age of five. He improved his skills in the instrument in a cover band that played jazz and rock music. Kondo studied at the Art Planning Department of Osaka University of Arts, but was never classically-trained or particularly dedicated to music. However, he gained some experience in composing and arranging pieces, using both the piano and a computer to assist him. During his senior year, Nintendo sent a recruitment message to his university stating that they were interested in hiring people dedicated to composition and sound programming. An LCD and arcade gamer, Kondo successfully applied for the job in 1984 without requiring any demo tapes.