In the Halo universe since 2010
Tom Salta first entered the Halo universe by helping rebuild its original score note for note. He went on to compose original music for games and animation—music recognized by listeners as unmistakably Halo.
Explore the historyThe throughline
Before writing new music for Halo, Tom learned its musical language from the inside out.
Reconstructing the original score created an unusually deep foundation: respect for the themes, textures, and emotional contrasts that made Halo’s sound instantly recognizable. That knowledge later informed original scores of his own.
Selected history
A progression from reconstruction to original authorship.
2010–2011
Tom joined the team recreating the score for Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary—preserving the original compositions while rebuilding their production for a new generation.
Orchestra and choir were recorded at Skywalker Sound. Tom completed his electronic production, percussion, and synthesis in his own studio.
Skywalker Sound · June 17, 2011
Working with music producer Paul Lipson, conductor Wataru Hokoyama, senior audio director Kristofor Mellroth, and the wider music team, Tom helped create a contemporary realization of music already embedded in gaming culture.
Wataru Hokoyama, Paul Lipson, Kristofor Mellroth, and Tom Salta at Skywalker Sound.
Six Halo titles · 2011–2015
Across six releases, Tom’s work moved from rebuilding Halo’s foundational music to composing original scores for games, animation, and an evolving universe.
2011
Legacy-score recreation · work began in 2010
2013
Original score · G.A.N.G. Best Original Soundtrack Album
2014
Landmark legacy-score recreation
2015
Original score · Project won G.A.N.G. Best Handheld Audio
2015
Original main-menu music · first heard publicly at the 2014 Halo 2: Anniversary reveal
2015 · Animated film
Original score for the animated film
Vancouver · May 27, 2015
Before scoring Halo: The Fall of Reach, Tom met with Kiki Wolfkill and Frank O’Connor in Vancouver to watch the film and discuss its musical direction.
Kiki Wolfkill, Tom Salta, and Frank O’Connor · Vancouver · May 27, 2015
Avatar Studios · New York City
A boys choir gave The Fall of Reach an intimate, vulnerable dimension—connecting the scale of the Halo universe with the children at the center of its story.
One piece · two lives
The same original Tom Salta piece accompanied the 2014 Comic-Con reveal of Halo 2: Anniversary and later became the main-menu music for Halo Online.
From Remaking the Legend
Comic-Con audience footage captures the public reveal of Halo 2: Anniversary, accompanied by Tom Salta’s music—the piece later used as the Halo Online main-menu theme.
Watch the complete official documentary on YouTube, where platform captions may be available.
Halo Online music · Comic-Con International 2014 reveal
The reveal gave the piece a public life before Halo Online—and its later circulation among fans produced one of the clearest listener reactions to Tom’s original Halo music.
“Now THIS is Halo.”
YouTube listener response · Halo Online Main Menu Soundtrack
Four original pieces · one musical identity
Four original pieces spanning mystery, scale, momentum, and the emotional character listeners associate with Halo.
01
Halo: Spartan Assault
Choral writing, harmonic space, and a theme built to feel native to Halo.
02
Halo: Spartan Assault
A measured statement of mystery and scale from Spartan Assault.
03
Halo Online
First heard publicly at the 2014 Halo 2: Anniversary reveal, then used as the main-menu music for Halo Online.
04
Halo: Spartan Strike
The most-streamed original from Spartan Strike on Spotify—propulsive, atmospheric, and built around the energy of the city.
Independent recognition
“It sounds every bit like a Halo game.”
Halo · 25 years
“Thank you for being part of Halo’s first 25 years!”
In 2026, Halo marked its 25th anniversary by sending Tom a commemorative package with a handwritten note signed by Corrinne Robinson, thanking him for being part of the franchise’s first twenty-five years.
In the Halo universe since 2010
Across remasters, original games, and animation, Tom’s work has followed one principle: preserve the identity listeners know, then build from it with purpose.