Brian May Scholarship » The Music of Anton Koch

Anton Koch
2003-2004 Scholarship Awardee

Anton Koch was awarded the Brian May Scholarship in 2002 for 2003-2004. He specialises in original composition, orchestration and arranging.

In 2003 I couldn’t believe my ears when I was given the news that I had been granted the inaugural Brian May Scholarship. The opportunities that can arise from this scholarship are boundless, from both the prospective course line-up (in my case at the University of Southern California) and beyond. The result was a rejuvenated knowledge of the world of composition and extensive experiences with the techniques of film music. One of the highlights of the course was the opportunity to record compositions with live ensembles at Paramount Studios. Primarily, I am a composer for orchestras and live musicians, therefore it was beneficial to have my compositions performed and to work with live players. Additionally, the class attended various recording sessions for movies under current production, including sessions with Alan Silvestri and David Newman. Hollywood composers, including James Newton Howard and Elmer Bernstein, were also invited to the class to share their experiences and provide us with some musical and occupational tips. Another well-known and prolific film composer, Christopher Young, provided weekly lessons for our group at his studio. I was privileged to work with him for a year in 2005, as his lead assistant, working on various film projects including the feature film The Exorcism of Emily Rose, for which I gained credit as orchestrator.

Following my experiences in Los Angeles and Hollywood, I spent the next year as a composer, arranger and orchestrator for both the opening and closing ceremonies of the 15th Asian Games (Doha). This project gave me the opportunity to record and conduct my original works, and my arrangements and orchestrations of other composers, in Qatar, Europe and Australia.

Currently I reside in Sydney where I continue to work on live events, film, musicals and other theatrical presentations. Recent projects include orchestrating the music of Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin, for the ABC TV opera The Divorce (Opera Australia, 2015), and providing additional work to the score and orchestra of the production of My Fair Lady (Opera Australia an John Frost, 2016), directed by Julie Andrews. My recent concert composition Sonatina, has also been premiered by the Melbourne based trio, Plexus. The Brian May Scholarship gave me the tools and experience to work on a variety of mediums and literally opened up a world of major musical projects.

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