Filmharmonix was formed by multi genre violinist Nigel MacLean in 1997 as a casual film orchestra to provide services for film composers. In particular, internationally renown film composer David Hirschfelder. Nigel worked in a variety of roles including Personal Assistant, Orchestral Director, Solo Artist, Assistant Producer and Notation Editor for Hirschfelder on films such as Elizabeth and Sliding Doors, Better Than Sex, What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted and The Interview. The mentoring provided by Hirschfelder set Nigel up with the necessary skills needed to provide film directors with the music services they are looking for on their film.
Filmharmonix diversified into a music production company soon after and began composing and producing works for recording. The first of these was a chamber jazz suite titled the Illawarra Suite left to him by the late Don HarperAO. The 12 movement suite was recorded in Melbourne thanks to a grant from Arts Victoria and now has two animations that accompany movements. These can be viewed at www.filmharmonix.com. Nigel received a Golden Fiddle award for his composition in this suite.
In 2000 Filmharmonix recorded and produced the first Blue Drag album titled "Relaxin' At The Camarillo" that featured jazz vocalist Julie O'Hara entirely off solar power. It was well received and was placed on the ABC National Playlist. Filmharmonix have recently released another Blue Drag album (funding assistance from the Australia Council) with co-writer Martin Elepans titled "I'll See You There". This album featured some of the very best in Australia including vocal sensations Kate Ceberano and Chantal Mitvalsky, piano maestros Joe Chindamo and David Hirschfelder plus a 26 piece string section led by Melbourne Symphony Concertmaster Wilma Smith. In January 2008 it was awarded a Golden Fiddle Award for Best Band CD.
Filmharmonix continues to provide services for film with recent jobs in the can including the orchestrations for Geoffrey Wrights' "Macbeth" and composing for several local short films. Nigel MacLean won Gold Medal for Best Music in a short film at the Park City Film Music Festival in Utah 2008 for the scoring of Forged - an Australian sword drama directed by David No.
In 2006 Filmharmonix released an album for African griot Jali Buba Kuyateh and samples can be heard above. It is currently available only online at www.filmharmonix.com.
Nigel MacLean was awarded a scholarship to study jazz at the Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1990 and is now an alumni advisor to that faculty. He is a two time winner of the National Bluegrass Championship in Tamworth and provides violin services for a large range of people. His touring, performance and recording credits include Paul Kelly, Renee Geyer, Kate Ceberano, John Denver, Vika and Linda Bull, David Hirschfelder, Joe Chindamo, Broderick Smith. He currently teaches improvisation for strings at the Victorian College of the Arts and runs an Apple Music Learning Pod in Castlemaine,Victoria. Nigel is now working on a new work about his great, great uncle Ben Hall who was a bushranger from the Forbes NSW district in the 1860's.
EMAIL : [email protected]
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