Oscar-winning composer teams up with the Australian Chamber Orchestra
When the world premiere of Hildur Gudnadottir’s new classical work, commissioned by the Australian Chamber Orchestra, takes place in Australia this month, the Oscar-winning composer’s busy schedule does not allow her to attend.
“Unfortunately I won’t be there for these performances because I will be working with other Australians in Europe this summer,” the Icelandic composer and cellist says apologetically from his home in Berlin. “I will contact your compatriots in London.”
As far as excuses go, that’s a good thing. Those Australians are Helpmann-winning theater director Benedict Andrews and Gudnadottir’s co-star in the 2022 film, Cate Blanchett. tar. Threesome with someone else tar German actress Nina Hoss begins rehearsals for the National Theatre’s new production. Electra/PersonaA play that blends Sophocles’ ancient tragedy with Ingmar Bergman’s 1966 psychodrama.
As if that wasn’t enough, the 43-year-old actor will also start working on the soundtrack for another high-profile concert later that month, when filming for director Sarah Polley’s adaptation of Sylvia Plath’s film begins. Bell JarStarring Billie Eilish. “It’s a very busy time,” says Gudnadottir, which is an understatement if I’ve ever heard that before.
Given such commitments, how does the deadline for this ACO write-up sound? Gudnadottir laughs. “I’m still working on it, but I’m almost done. It’s the gist of the article I wrote a few weeks ago, so I’m pretty comfortable with it,” he says.
In a program designed to evoke “snow-capped mountains and coasts along the Baltic and Scandinavian seas” From the Stillness of Winter You’ll see Richard Tognetti and ACO perform Gudnadottir’s piece alongside Norwegian/Swedish vocal group Trio Mediæval and Norwegian jazz trumpeter Arve Henriksen.
“They asked me to write a piece and I couldn’t say no because I thought they were amazing,” Gudnadottir says. He is a long-time friend of Henriksen; The duo also worked together on the soundtrack for Nia DaCosta’s 2025 film. Hedda. “I truly think he is one of the greatest trumpeters of our time.”
Given the hint that the concert’s unifying theme would be “water”, Gudnadottir immediately came up with an idea that she wanted to explore as an “Icelandic representative” among the programme’s Scandinavian focus. It was the avant-garde poetry of 1948 Time and Water A poem written by Icelandic poet Steinn Steinarr, a poem that his grandmother read to him when he was a child and which he has wanted to write music for a long time.
“Water is a big part of Northerners because we are surrounded by it and it is what divides and unites us,” says Gudnadottir. “I guess you could say Steinarr was a socialist in the post-war period. He had very good ideas about people’s rights and our common humanity.”
For someone known for his work in film and TV, it’s interesting that the momentum for orchestral work has shifted back to storytelling. “Music for me is just communication, a way to express our feelings, thoughts, ideas without words. With this piece, you can listen to it knowing that I’m thinking of water, that’s enough. Or you don’t even need to know that.”
‘I now understand much less the question of whether something is sound design or music.’
I last interviewed Gudnadottir in 2019. Unforgettable music from the series Chernobyl He had just made his breakthrough and was about to start working on the score for his first starring movie. Joker.
In the interview, he candidly discussed Hollywood’s resistance to the kind of music he and his late mentor Johan Johansson pursued, where they integrated field recordings and sound design alongside traditional orchestration. In the years since, Gudnadottir has won an Oscar for her role in: Joker He has become one of Hollywood’s most admired and sought-after composers. Does he think his ideas are now more accepted by the industry, or is he still fighting old battles?
“I think they’re much more accepted. I understand the question of whether something is sound design or music a lot less now,” laughs Gudnaddotir. “I think people are starting to get more excited about different ways to work with notes. Excited but also a little scared at the moment with all this talk about AI in on-screen music. But for myself, I definitely feel like I have to fight a lot less for my way of thinking to be accepted.”
I guess winning an Oscar will do that for you? “It definitely is,” he says. “When I suggested these ways of working to productions nine years ago, they were nervous that I wouldn’t be able to make them happen, perhaps because people didn’t know who I was and whether I could handle it. That’s understandable! These film productions are big and cumbersome things and there’s a lot of pressure because people invest so much time, money and manpower, so they want to make sure things are completed easily.”
“The composer comes at the end of that process – it’s the music that can change the most at the end – so towards the end of a project there tends to be quite a lot of pressure on the composer, which means people need to be able to trust that the person taking on that job has broad shoulders and can handle that kind of pressure. I think that’s why people are afraid to change the way they’re used to working.
“So when you win something and you have trophies and items to show that this process is actually doable, it definitely gives people peace of mind. It’s like look, this golden man is telling you to trust me!”
In our last conversation, Gudnadottir pointed out Antonio Sanchez’s score. Birdman – a long drum solo that eschews melody for tension – as a daring piece that tries something different in Hollywood. Is there a recent score that stands out for him? “I think Ludwig [Goransson] I did sinners “It was a great movie and the music was so fun and exciting. ‘Yes!’ from the cinema “I remember going out saying,
Gudnadottir says the success of this score is testament to the close relationship between Goransson and director Ryan Coogler. “That’s one of the things I’m interested in; how you can develop a friendship and a creative collaboration with someone who is not only interested in the work you’re creating, but the connection you have. You can go much deeper and communicate with people you trust and love in an honest and joyful way.”
Gudnadottir developed such relationships primarily by working with female filmmakers such as Sarah Polley, Nia DaCosta, and Maggie Gyllenhaal. “I don’t choose my projects based on whether people are male or female, but connection is important and I’m lucky to have people like Sarah and Nia who are interested in the same ideas and it makes for a great working environment. It just so happens that they’re women and I think it’s great to see that we’re getting the chance to work with more female directors today,” she says.
She recalls Blanchett’s “incredible speech” on the red carpet as Cannes jury president in 2018, attended by 82 women, including filmmakers Agnes Varda and Ava DuVernay; This number compared to the number of female directors who had entered the competition throughout Cannes history up to that point, 1688 men. “When you see these statistics and the space women have in modern storytelling, it’s surprising because women make up 50 percent of the people,” Gudnaddotir says. “We still only hear a fraction of the stories women have to tell.”
It’s a debate that also emerged after Gudnadottir’s Oscar victory in 2020: At the time, she was the first female composer to win an Academy Award in more than 20 years, and there hasn’t been another in nearly a decade since. “It’s changing, but very slowly. Very, very slowly,” Gudnadottir says of the obstacles facing young female composers in Hollywood.
“I was hoping things would change faster. But we have to keep pushing a little harder and opening the doors, and hopefully we’ll see more, because we still have a lot to hear, learn and experience from a women’s perspective.”
From the Stillness of WinterThe exhibition, featuring the world premiere of Hildur Gudnadottir’s new work, will be held at Melbourne’s Hamer Hall Arts Center on 26-27 July; At Sydney Municipal Recital Hall on 1, 4, 5 and 7 August; and at the Sydney Opera House on August 9.
