Michael Edwards is an award winning composer and pianist, whose work spans film, television, theatre, live concert performance and recordings.
He was recently nominated for the Music and Sound Awards 2017. He won best score at the Los Angeles Cinefest 2016 for his orchestral score to the award winning film The Clockmaker's Dream (Cashell Horgan, Jared Harris). The film has since won 11 awards at international film festivals and was recently screened at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.
In 2016 his composition work earned him a nomination for the Deutsche Filmmusikpreis 2016
Michael is currently working with the Konzerthaus Orchestra in Berlin. The newly commissioned composition has recently been recorded in the Grosser Saal in the Konzerthaus. The advertising campaign #klangberlins (Sound of Berlin) recently won ADC/Peaks Best YouTube Video of the Year 2017 2017 at Art Directors Club Deutschland, as well as the Deutsche Prize for Online Communication 2017 and the Golden Award of Montreux 2017.
In early 2016, Michael composed music for the 3 part documentary 1916: The Irish Rebellion (narrated by Liam Neeson). Michael performed his music live on piano with the RTE Concert Orchestra at the premier screening at the Concert Hall in Dublin 16.03.16 for the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising.
Michael also composes music to selected short films, recently winning Best Music at the GSFF New Jersey 2017 for the score to the film Narcan featuring Malachy McCourt (Angelas Ashes).
Michael has composed and produced music to an number of theatre productions. His original score to the award winning show Asyl Monologe recently had its 300th show at the Heimathafen in Berlin.
A native of Australia, he has composed music for top TV shows including Water Rats, and Murder Call. He wrote the National News Theme for Channel 7’s prime time current affairs show Today Tonight. He also worked on many commercial recordings - writing, programming and arranging for various Australian and international acts.
His first feature film work was his contribution to Lisa Gerrard's (Golden Globe, Gladiator) score for the Oscar nominated film Whale Rider (2002). He went on to collaborate with Lisa on several films including Layer Cake (2004) (Daniel Craig) and Ichi (2008) (Fumihiku Sori) and 2 albums (Silver Tree, Black Opal) and three world tours. The hit Spaceweaver features in the film Secret Defence.
In 2003 Michael moved to London and set up a studio in Soho, and composed extensively for British television, Storyville, BBC documentaries and ITV dramas. Highlights include Before The Flood , Town and Country and Mandy's Choice.
In London Michael also worked with labels Ministry of Sound and HedKandi, producing and remixing hits for Moloko, and Swedish group Stonebridge’s UK Top 10 hit Put em High, co-writing the hit single Perfect Stranger sung by Atef, runner up of France's The Voice in 2012.
Whilst living in London he often travelled to Hollywood for extended periods collaborating most notably with composer Patrick Cassidy (Hannibal). He also composed music for Kill the Irishman (2011), Fuga Per La Liberta (2008) and The Front Line (2006), and the ASCAP award nominated score for Calvary (2014). Michael's piano music closes the last 3 minuets of the film, hauntingly completing the story alone without dialogue. In LA, Michael also worked with Jeff Most (The Crow) composing for his film The Tomb (2009).
As a performer, Michael has performed at many renowned concert halls around the world including the Hollywood Bowl, Radio City Music Hall, Albert Hall, Barbican, Berlin Philharmonie. He toured extensively with Dead Can Dance, Skye (Morcheeba), and Darren Hayes (Savage Garden).
His theatre work includes Ice and Fire Theatre (London), Bühne für Menschenrechte (Berlin), Massive Attack's meltldown festival London, Rendition at the Edinburgh Festival 2009, and Jan Becker's Hypnotise the World stage show.
A fluent German speaker, Michael's music can also be heard on the German films Out Of Society (2013), Die Gewählten (2014) and the German TV series Katrin und die Welt der Tiere (2010).
Michael has composed music for over 80 international advertising campaigns. Client list here.
Michael's piano skills and harmonic knowledge enable him to quickly and effectively communicate musically with directors and producers. Years of practice refining his orchestration skills, combined with a passion for mixing and imaginative sound manipulation, give his compositions strongly crafted themes that balance flair and restraint, seamlessly supporting the visuals, shaping the story and character development.
Michael grew up in Australia and currently lives in Berlin. His classical training began whilst at high school in Brisbane studying at Queensland Conservatorium on viola, and playing in the Queensland Youth Orchestra.
He went on to study music at Queensland University of Technology graduating with a Bachelor of Music on piano. Whilst studying he spent his evenings playing jazz gigs in piano bars.
Michael's highly developed musicianship, orchestral and piano skills, as well as recording and production knowhow have enabled him to thrive in a diversity of mediums and working environments, collaborate widely and hone a unique voice.
A full list of credits and filmography is included below.
Filmography
The Clockmaker's Dream
Composer, Orchestrator, Mix
Director: Cashell Horgan, Producer: Made Films (Ireland)
imdb
1916: The Irish Rebelion
Composer Additional Music, Orchestrator, Mix
Director: Ruan Magen, Producer: Cocotelevision (Ireland), Narrator: Liam Neeson
imdb
Smalltown
Composer Additional Music, Orchestrator, Mix
Director: Gerard Barrett, Producer: Grainne O'Sullivan (Ireland)
imdb
Die Gewählten (The Elected)
Composer, Orchestrator, Mix
Director: Nancy Brandt, Producer: if Films (Germany)
imdb
Calvary
Composer Additional Music, Orchestrator, Piano, Mix
Director: John Michael McDonough, Producer: Reprisal Films (UK)
imdb
Out Of Society
Composer, Orchestrator, Mix
Director: Nancy Brandt, Producer: Hochschule für Fernsehen und Film München (Germany)
imdb
Katrin und die Welt der Tiere
52 Episodes - Composer, Programming, Mix
Director: Igor Hartmann, Producer: Context TV (Germany)
imdb
Kill The Irishman
Composer Additional Music
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh, Producer: Code Entertainment (USA)
imdb
Secrets Of State
Composer Additional Music
Director: Phillipe Haim, Producer: Alexander Emmert (France)
imdb
Fuga Per La Liberta
Composer Additional Music, Orchestrator, Mix
Director: Carlo Carlei, Producer: Canale 5 (Italy)
imdb
The Front Line
Composer Additional Music, Mix
Director: David Gleeson, Producer: Wide Eye Films (Ireland)
imdb
Defector
Composer Additional Music, Programming, Mix
Director: FMark Jonathan Harris, Producer: Mark Jonathan Harris (USA)
imdb
Playing For Charlie
Composer Additional Music
Director: Pene Patrick, Producer: Queen Ant Films (Australia)
imdb
Mandy's Choice
Composer, Programming, Mix
Director: Luisa Pretolani, Producer: Stampede Films (UK)
imdb
Town And Country
Composer, Programming, Mix
Director: Sandi Scott, Producer: RDF Media London (UK)
imdb
Before The Flood
Composer, Programming, Mix
Director: Paul Lindsay, Producer: Stampede Films (UK)
imdb
How Much Do You Love Me?
Composer - Theme
Director: Denise Van Auten, Producer: Pam Barnes (Australia)
imdb
Discography
"Spaceweaver"
Composer, Producer, Mix
Artist: Lisa Gerrard
Album: The Silver Tree (2007)
"Sleep"
Piano, Producer
Artist: Lisa Gerrard
Album: The Black Opal (2009)
"Perfect Stranger"
Composer, Orchestrator
Artist: Atef
Album: Perfect Stranger (2012)
"Desert Song"
Composer, Producer, Orchestrator, Mix
Artist: Lisa Gerrard
Album: Black Opal (2009)
"Said And Done"
Composer
Artist: Skye
Album: In A Low Light (2015)
"Serpent And The Dove"
Composer
Artist: Lisa Gerrard
Album: Black Opal (2009)
"Black Forest"
Composer, Orchestrator, Mix
Artist: Lisa Gerrard
Album: Black Opal (2009)
"Mise Eire"
Producer, Mix
Artist: Sibeal
Album: Universal Music (2016)
"1916: The Irish Rebelion"
Composer Additional Music, Orchestrator, Producer, Mix
Artist: Patrick Cassidy
Album: Universal Music (2016)
"Haurvatat"
Composer, Orchestrator, Producer, Mix
Artist: Telecine
"Cannot Contain This"
Remix
Artist: Moloko
Label: Echo (2003)
"Put 'em High"
Remix
Artist: Stonebridge
Label: Hedkandi (2004)
"Dead Can Dance Live 2005"
Keyboard, Guitar
Artist: Dead Can Dance
Album: Dead Can Dance World Tour (2005)
"So Shy"
Composer, Producer, Mix
Artist: Lief
Singer: Daniel Merriweather
Stage
Hypnotize The World
Composer, Orchestrator Mix
Act: Jan Becker
Show: Germany (2015/16)
"NSU Monologe"
Composer
Act: Bühne für Menchenrechte
Show: Germany (2016 - )
"Rendition Monologue"
Composer
Act: Ice and Fire Theatre
Show: Edinburgh (2009)
Asyl Dialoge
Composer
Act: Bühne für Menchenrechte
Show: Germany (2013 - )
Asyl Monologe
Composer
Act: Bühne für Menchenrechte
Show: Germany (2012 - ) Heimathaven Neuköln Berlin
Loachre
Orchestrator, Producer, Mix
Act: Tyrone Productions - Riverdance
Show: Ireland, Dublin, Croke Park Stadium 24 April 2016
Touring
Dead Can Dance
Keyboard
Tour: World Tour 2005
Skye (Morcheeba)
Keyboard
Tours: 2006-2008
Darren Hayes (Savage Garden)
Keyboard
Tour: Time Machine Tour 2007
Lisa Gerrard
Piano, Keyboards
Tours: World Tours 2007
Darren Hayes
Keyboard
Tour: The Big Night In Tour 2006