Derek Williams

Music composer, music supervisor and music conductor in Edinburgh, United Kingdom Music composer, music supervisor and music conductor in Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Derek Williams

Music composer, music supervisor and music conductor in Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Member since: April 2012
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Derek's Bio

Derek added 6 photos and 9 videos

Alongside my career as an educator, I have been self-employed variously as composer, conductor, musical director and record producer for a range of international clients, including The University of Edinburgh and Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, EMI Music, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Caroline O'Connor, Sir Robert Helpmann, Sir Howard Morrison. My work has featured in performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Royal Albert Hall and Garrick Theatre (London), Sydney Opera House and Melbourne Hamer Hall (Australia), the Australian Embassy (New York), Sala Accademica di Santa Cecilia (Rome) and Edinburgh University.

I have been orchestrator, associate composer and musician for 27 feature films, television documentaries, mini series, and 15 album titles and have been a frequent conductor of studio orchestras, including Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for the feature film Frauds. Many of the media to which I have contributed have themselves achieved critical and popular acclaim, including Best Thriller at the Los Angeles Independent Film Awards (The Beast In The Storm), BAFTA Award (The Making of Longbird), Best Film Score (Crush), an Oscar (The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert), Triple Platinum record sales (Come In Spinner - ABC) and an Australian Aria Award nomination (Cash Landing – EMI Music).

Stars in films I have orchestrated include Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Phil Collins, Josephine Byrnes, Lee Majors, Jack Scalia, Bob Peck, Guy Pearce, Terence Stamp. I worked with Torvill & Dean as arranger and pianist for their album Here We Stand. I have performed extensively as keyboardist, including over 400 performances of Andrew Lloyd Webber's show Cats (Really Useful Theatre Company) and Phantom of the Opera (Cameron Mackintosh Limited), and as musical director for independent productions.

My most recent commissions have been to arrange, conduct, mix and master the vocal and orchestral music for the Glenfiddich 21yo Whisky ad campaign, so far reaching 1.7 million hits, viewable on my YouTube channel below, and to score the music Ruaridh M Turner's multi award winning short thriller, 'The Beast in the Storm'. My current commissions are to compose a new 4 movement symphony for The Orchestra of the Canongait in Scotland, and a new trio for the Hindemith Trio in Parma, Italy.

I have the digital technology necessary to work in-house in my private studio at:
http://derekwilliams.net/services/conducting_producing_recording/

as well as with live ensembles of any size as Arranger, Conductor or Producer. Testimonials in all these fields are available on request.

Services available are listed on my website at: http://derekwilliams.net/services/

Derek's Credits

Referee Interviews (2006 - 2017)
Composer, Arranger, Conductor, Producer
Derek Williams Music

The Beast in the Storm (2016 - 2017)
Composer, Orchestrator, Audio Engineer
Ruaridh M Turner

The Snowman (2016)
Conductor
Rogue Village, Hobo Cinema

Tonight At The West End Show (2015)
Pianist
Tonight Productions, Derek Williams (Piano)

Glenfiddich 21yo Whisky ad campaign (2015)
Arranger, Conductor, Audio Engineer
Derek Williams (Arranger, Conductor, Mastering Engineer), Noel Music Management

'Headline Act' (2015)
Orchestrator, Conductor
Luke Faulkner (Piano, Aranger), Derek Williams (Conductor, Arranger, Producer)

Frank Holden - Sinatra Entertainment (2007 - 2015)
Pianist, Musical Director
Frank Holden

The Infinity Project (2015)
Pianist
Atzi Lipsync, Derek Williams

The Mail Porter (2015)
Composer
Sick Kids Friends Foundation, Derek Williams (Composer)

'Edinburgh Festival' Tone Poem (2014)
Arranger, Orchestrator, Conductor
Pete Warburton (Composer) Derek Williams (Arranger, Conductor, Producer)

Medea - The Opera (2014)
Composer, Pianist
Derek Williams (Composer, Piano), Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Plot For Peace (2013)
Orchestrator ('Empire' soundtrack)
Stephen Smith

Waltz (2013)
Composer
Derek Williams (Composer), The University of Edinburgh

The Making of Longbird (2013)
Pianist
Wil Anderson

Caroline O'Connor - Hamer Hall Official Opening (2012)
Arranger, Orchestrator
Derek Williams (Arranger), Hamer Hall, Melbourne

Wilde - The Opera (2011)
Composer
Derek Williams (Composer), The University of Edinburgh

Quintet for Clarinet, Horn, Violin, Cello and Piano (2011)
Composer
Derek Williams (Composer), Artisan Quintet, Edinburgh

Piano Quintet (2011)
Composer
Derek Williams (Composer), Serias Quintet, Rome

Verso-Tempo (2011)
Conductor
Julien Longchamp (Composer), Derek Williams (Conductor)

Fall of a Window Cleaner (2011)
Conductor
Julien Longchamp (Composer), Derek Williams (Conductor)

Caroline O'Connor - The Showgirl Within (2010)
Arranger, Orchestrator
Caroline O'Connor (Vocalist), Derek Williams (Arranger), Garrick Theatre, London

Fortune & Men's Eyes, String Theories (2010)
Composer
Derek Williams (Composer), Kings Place, London

The Syllabus (2004 - 2010)
Composer, Arranger, Orchestrator, Musician, Engineer, Producer
Glenn Wood Tap

Caledonian Quartet - Encounters Project (2009)
Composer
Derek Williams (Composer, Producer), The Edinburgh Quartet

A World of Intentions (2009)
Arranger, Orchestrator
John Mulkins (Composer, Singer), Derek Williams (String Arranger), San Francisco

Faust (2008)
Repetiteur, Offstage Conductor
Edinburgh Grand Opera, Derek Williams (Repetiteur, Offstage Conductor)

Opera Shorts (2008)
Répétiteur
Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Caroline O'Connor - Kander & Ebb, Night of 1,000 Voices (2007)
Arranger, Orchestrator
Royal Albert Hall, London

Salad Days (2007)
Musical Director, Répétiteur
Edinburgh University Savoy Opera Group

Caroline O'Connor - Tribute to Garland (2006)
Arranger, Orchestrator, Keyboardist
Taronga Park, Sydney

Hard Knox (2001)
Orchestrator, Composer Additional Music
Peter Bloomfield

Hildegarde (2001)
Orchestrator
Australian Film Commission

Cash Landing CD - Frank Bennett (1998)
Arranger, Orchestrator, Conductor, Producer
EMI Music

Dance Assessment Program (1998)
Pianist, Recording Engineer
Australian Dance Vision

New Zealand Choral Music CD (1998)
Chorister (Bass)
Kiwi Pacific Records

Thank God He Met Lizzie (1997)
Orchestrator
Stamen Films Ltd

Empire (1997)
Orchestrator
Australian Broadcasting Corporation

The Last Empress (1997)
Score Programmer
Peter Casey

Leopard's Leap (1997)
Arranger, Production Musical Advisor
Eaton Magoon Jr

Cats (1986 - 1996)
Keyboardist
The Really Useful Theatre Company

Lulu - The Musical (1996)
Musical Director, Arranger, Orchestrator, Score Programmer
Crook & Carroll Partnership

Berlin (1995)
Score Programmer
Graham Murphy, Sydney Dance Company

Fornicon (1995)
Arranger, Orchestrator, Score Programmer
Graham Murphy, Sydney Dance Company

Phantom of the Opera (1995)
Keyboardist
Cameron Mackintosh Ltd

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
Orchestrator
Polygram Filmed Entertainment

The Rainbow Warrior (1993)
Music department
Michael Tuchner

Seven Deadly Sins (1993)
Arranger, Orchestrator, Keyboardist
Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Frauds (1993)
Orchestrator, Conductor. Composer Additional Music
J&M Entertainment

Blinky Bill: The Mischievous Koala (1992)
Music department
Yoram Gross

The Other Side of Paradise (1992)
Orchestrator, Conductor. Composer Additional Music
10 TV Network

Crush (1992)
Orchestrator
Australian Film Council

Police Rescue (1991)
Composer Additional Music
Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Children of the Dragon (1991)
Orchestrator, Conductor. Composer Additional Music
Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Nunsense (1991)
Keyboardist
Glen Street Theatre

Come In Spinner (1990)
Arranger, Orchestrator, Conductor
Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Grace Knight (1990)
Musical Director, Arranger, Pianist
Kevin Jacobson Productions

The Wonderful World of Dogs (1990)
Composer Additional Music
Mark Lewis

Ring of Scorpio (1990)
Orchestrator, Conductor. Composer Additional Music
Nine Network Australia

Sydney Cantata (1990)
Orchestrator, Producer
David King - Australian Bicentennary

The Rainbow Warrior Conspiracy (1989)
Music department

Body Surfer (1989)
Orchestrator, Conductor, Pianist
John Sexton Productions

You've Always Got The Blues TV Special (1989)
Keyboardist
Australian Broadcasting Corporation

in Grave Danger of Falling Food (1989)
Composer, Musician
220 Productions Ltd

Torvill & Dean 'Here We Stand' CD (1989)
Arranger, Orchestrator, Pianist
Hammard TV Productions Pty Ltd

The Crossing (1989)
Orchestrator, Conductor, Composer Additional Music
Beyond Productions

The Last Resort (1988)
Associate Composer, Orchestrator, Conductor
Louis Nowra

Arthur Young & Partners (1988)
Composer
Broadcom Australia

Channel 7 Network Themes (1988)
Associate Composer
ATN Channel 7 Network

Manning Clark's History of Austrlia - The Musical (1988)
Arranger, Orchestrator, Musician
The Australian Bicentennary

Australian Singing Competition (1985 - 1988)
Arranger, Orchestrator
Ken Laing, Media Music

Aloha (1983 - 1985)
Arranger, Orchestrator, Musical Director, Conductor
Eaton Magoon Jr & Sir Robert Helpmann

Sir Howard Morrison, TVNZ Entertainer of the Year Tour (1982)
Arranger, Musician
Sir Howard Morrison

Derek's Awards

AFI Awards - Australian Film Institute (Body Surfer, The Crossing, Come In Spinner, Thank God He Met Lizze)

Australian Aria Award nomination (Cash Landing – EMI Music)

Best Film nomination, Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival (Frauds)

Best Film Score - New Zealand Film and TV Awards (Crush)

Best Short Animation - BAFTA Award, Best Graduation Film - Annecy International Animated Film Festival, Golden Dove, Audience Award - Leipzig DOK Festival, Best British Short, Best New British Animation – Edinburgh International Film Festival, Scottish Sh

Best Sound Track - New Zealand Film and TV Awards (Crush)

FCCA Award - Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards (Thank God He Met Lizzie)

Golden Raven - Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film (Frauds)

Logie Awards (Police Rescue, Come In Spinner, The Crossing)

Oscar (Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert)

Palme d’Or - Cannes Film Festival (Frauds, Crush)

Platinum record sales (Come In Spinner - ABC)

Starboy Award - Oulu International Children's Film Festival (Hildegarde)

Verona Love Screens Film Festival (Thank God He Met Lizzie)

Best Action/Thriller/SciFi - Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards (The Beast in the Storm)

Award of Merit – IndieFEST Film Awards (The Beast in the Storm)