Australian score composer Burkhard Dallwitz is most known for his scores for THE TRUMAN SHOW (Golden Globe for Best Original Score, 1999), award-winning Australian TV series UNDERBELLY (2008 ~), AUS/UK mini-series FALSE WITNESS (2009) and more recently Peter Weir’s feature film THE WAY BACK (2011).
German-born Burkhard travelled to Australia in 1979, where he became a permanent resident a year later. In Melbourne he studied music at Latrobe University where he majored with Honours in Composition. Since 1984, he has worked as a composer for feature films, television and commercials. Over the years Burkhard has been the recipient of several APRA/ AGSC Screen Music Awards and nominations and in 1999, he was awarded the Golden Globe for Best Original Score in a Motion Picture for THE TRUMAN SHOW. This score also won the Chicago Film Critics’ Award and the ASCAP Film and Television Award, and the soundtrack reached number two on the Billboard charts.
In 2001 Burkhard won the APRA award for Best Television Theme for the Sydney Olympics in 2000. The world-renowned 385-voice Mormon Tabernacle Choir performed and recorded his 2002 theme for the Salt Lake Winter Olympics. He also composed the theme for the Seven Network’s coverage of the Beijing 2008 Olympics (in addition to the 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006 compositions).
In 2004 he won the APRA/AGSC Screen Music Award for Best Music for a Television Series for CRASHBURN. Burkhard also received two nominations in the 2006 APRA/AGSC Screen Music Awards for the Australian feature film THE CATERPILLAR WISH. In 2008 he was awarded the APRA/AGSC Screen Music Awards for Best Music for a Television Series for Underbelly and Best Television Theme for IT’S A JUNGLE OUT THERE. Other recent scores have included the European feature film MANIPULATION, starring Klaus Maria Brandauer (OUT OF AFRICA, MEPHISTO) and Sebastian Koch (THE LIVES OF OTHERS, THE BLACK BOOK), and the international Mini-Series False Witness, a Screentime Production for UKTV starring Dougray Scott, Claire Forlani, Rachel Blake and Richard Roxburgh.
In 2009 Burkhard scored the second series of UNDERBELLY: A TALE OF TWO CITIES and then composed the score for Peter Weir’s feature film THE WAY BACK starring Colin Farrell, Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess and Saoirse Ronan. He received two APRA/AGSC Screen Music Awards nominations for his work on FALSE WITNESS and UNDERBELLY: A TALE OF TWO CITIES. In 2010 Burkhard received an ARIA nomination for UNDERBELLY – Original Television Soundtrack Album and an APRA/AGSC Screen Music Award for Best Music for a Television Series for UNDERBELLY: THE GOLDEN MILE.
In 2011 he has been nominated for Feature Film Score of the Year for Peter Weir’s THE WAY BACK and won the Screen Music Award for Best Music for a Mini Series or Telemovie for his score for UNDERBELLY FILES: TELL THEM LUCIFER WAS HERE. 2011 saw him complete several overseas and local productions, among them the 4th series of UNDERBELLY: RAZOR.
In 2012/13 Burkhard scored two 8 part Television Mini-Series, UNDERBELLY: BADNESS and UNDERBELLY: SQUIZZY, as well as the feature length documentary RED OBSESSION. He also won the 2012 Screen Music Award for Best Music for a Television Series for UNDERBELLY: RAZOR, making it his fifth award in as many years for the UNDERBELLY franchise.
In 2013/14 Burkhard scored the new 9 part Television Drama Series FAT TONY & CO as well as receiving an AACTA award nomination for RED OBSESSION (best sound for a documentary) and two Screen Music Award nominations for his work on RED OBSESSION and UNDERBELLY: BADNESS.
Burkhard has several soundtracks out on general release and lives with his family in Melbourne, Australia.
He continues to work on local, European and U.S. film and television productions.
Session details: Score Composing with Burkhard Dallwitz (AUS): Using Music as Voice
