Role

:

Composer  

Country

:

Australia

Birth

:

November 18, 1960 in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia

Genre

:

Film

 

David Hirschfelder is a renowned Australian composer, pianist, and conductor who has made a significant contribution to the world of classical music. Born on November 18, 1960, in Ballarat, Victoria, Hirschfelder showed an early interest in music and began playing the piano at the age of five. He grew up in a musical family, with his father being a jazz pianist and his mother a singer. Hirschfelder's passion for music led him to study at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne, where he received a Bachelor of Music degree in 1983. He then went on to study film scoring at the Australian Film Television and Radio School in Sydney, where he honed his skills in composing music for film and television. Hirschfelder's career in music began in the 1980s when he joined the Australian rock band, John Farnham Band, as a keyboard player. He toured with the band for several years and also played on their hit album, "Whispering Jack," which became the highest-selling album in Australian history at the time. In the early 1990s, Hirschfelder began to focus on composing music for film and television. He quickly gained recognition for his work, and his first major film score was for the Australian film, "Strictly Ballroom," directed by Baz Luhrmann. The score was a critical and commercial success and earned Hirschfelder his first ARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack Album in 1992. Hirschfelder's success continued with his work on the films, "Shine" and "Elizabeth." His score for "Shine," a biographical drama about the pianist David Helfgott, earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Dramatic Score in 1997. The score also won him a BAFTA Award for Best Original Film Score and an ARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack Album. In 1998, Hirschfelder composed the score for the film, "Elizabeth," which starred Cate Blanchett as Queen Elizabeth I. The score was another critical and commercial success and earned Hirschfelder his second BAFTA Award for Best Original Film Score. Hirschfelder's work in film and television has also earned him several other awards and nominations, including two Emmy nominations for his work on the television series, "The Tudors," and "The Starter Wife." In addition to his work in film and television, Hirschfelder has also composed music for the stage. He composed the score for the Australian production of the musical, "Doctor Zhivago," which premiered in 2011. The score was a critical success and earned Hirschfelder a Helpmann Award for Best Original Score. Hirschfelder has also worked as a conductor, leading orchestras in performances of his own compositions as well as classical works. He has conducted the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, among others. Throughout his career, Hirschfelder has remained committed to promoting and supporting Australian music. He has served as a judge for the Australian Music Prize and has been a mentor to many young Australian musicians. In recognition of his contributions to the world of music, Hirschfelder was awarded the Order of Australia in 2011. The award recognized his "service to the performing arts as a composer, conductor, and musician." Today, Hirschfelder continues to compose music for film, television, and the stage.

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