How would you describe your approach and compositional style?
“The first thing I do is search for what is going to define the character of the music, so it compliments and builds upon the world created by the production.
I love the process of understanding the vision of the filmmaker/s and the symbiotic journey of this collaboration, which often leads to being brought in at the early stages of pre-production, to explore and define the unique musical requirements of fiercely individual projects.
I think my music could be described as eclectic, yet with a ‘voice’ which is strongly identifiable for each production.
Though the scope of my work is as diverse as my production credits, some common threads to my composition style would be; strong themes, surprising elements, and the creative use of live instruments often combined with synthetic textures, pulses, and varying complexities of rhythmic layers.
I have written scores for live orchestra, choirs, jazz and other small ‘classical’ ensembles, as well as electro-acoustic combinations.”
Dale Cornelius
Dale has written music scores for in excess of 200 hours of content, across 76 productions (IMDB); feature film, short film, animation, television drama, television reality shows, documentary series, and feature length documentaries.
His first feature film score, ‘Till Human Voices Wake Us’ (Helena Bonham Carter & Guy Pearce), was recognised in The Age newspaper as ‘Critic’s Choice’ for Best Australian Film Score in 2002. Dale has since been regularly nominated and awarded at Australian and overseas screen industry events, such as; APRA Australian Screen Music Awards, AFI/AACTA, and Danish Film Academy Awards.
His soundtracks have been streamed over 2 million times and Dale has been a featured composer on radio shows such as; Triple R (Film Buffs Forecast), ABC Classics FM, and 3MBS Melbourne, amongst others.
Television networks which have broadcasted productions Dale has written music for, include; Netflix (U.S.A.), BBC 1, BBC 2, & ITV (UK), Australian Broadcasting Network (ABC), SBS (Aust), the Seven, Nine and Ten Networks (Aust), Arte France, PBS (U.S.A.), Discovery, History, and National Geographic channels.
Dale has scored films officially selected for the following film festivals; Berlin Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival (Mary & Max – opening night film), Tribeca Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival, and Adelaide Film Festival, Cork (Ireland), Telluride (U.S.) and St Kilda Film Festival.
He has worked with many Australian production companies, such as; Matchbox Pictures, December Media, ABC Natural History, 360 Degree Films, Unicorn Films, Cordell Jigsaw and Zapruder (CJZ), Genepool Productions, Crawford Productions, Fremantle Media, Renegade Films, Sensible Films, Flying Bark Productions, Instinct Entertainment, and See Pictures .
He has conducted film scoring lectures for screen and composition focussed tertiary institutions, such as; Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Australian Institute of Music, & Melbourne College of the Arts.
Dale has been a panellist/speaker/interviewee for; Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF), Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC), 3MBS radio’s Island Life, ABC Classic FM, PBS FM’s Film Buffs Forecast, and Natalie Portman’s MakingOf web channel (U.S.A.).
Dale is President of the Australian Guild of Screen Composers (AGSC) and Chair of its Education Committee. He is passionate about supporting screen composers, bridging the ‘knowledge gap’ between tertiary institutions and the professional screen music sector, and developing opportunities for emerging composers, particularly around cultural diversity. Since 2020, Dale has been working with NATSIMO (National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Music Office) to research and establish pathways into screen composition, resulting in the very first NATSIMO-AGSC Screen Composer Intensive. He is also a registered mentor composer with the Screen Australia Credit Maker Program.
Click here for extra music links
Click here for list of credits and testimonials on HOME page