What made you interested in music producing and scoring for film and art, and what were some of your first steps in the industry? 

Thank you so much for having me, I am truly grateful to be part of the AWFC and in the company of so many talented women.

My fascination with music production and film scoring comes from a deep-rooted love for the piano since my early years. It was a very natural process, simply wanting to play and improve technically. Discovering the violin a bit later provided me the opportunity to play more often in orchestras and ensembles, which I immensely enjoyed. As a teenager, I started composing for myself and soon realized that visual material or spoken language served as great inspiration. I began to draw sketches and create stories as bases for my pieces until a friend offered me the opportunity to score my first film, a 90-minute documentary for cinema. I was studying musicology and philosophy at the time. I didn’t work on any short films before my first long one; I was basically thrown directly into it.

Following this experience, I studied film composition at Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf, where I professionalized my workflow in the studio. Writing for orchestra and engaging in regular recordings became a valuable avenue for learning and growth. At the time, living in Berlin surrounded by visual artists, writing music for them felt as natural as composing for film. I still try to see art whenever I can. I find it incredibly nurturing. Writing music for exhibitions also allowed me to step out of the studio and perform live in various constellations. One of my favorite experiences was creating music for a dance performance for Kunsthalle Baden-Baden, involving 30 dancers, 12 musicians, and 2 DJs (who were playing from sheet music as well).

Over the years, you’ve won many awards for your music, at the New York International Film Awards, the Sicily Web Fest, the Virgin Spring Cinefest and the Seoul Web Fest. What are some of the projects you are most proud of? / What do you take pride in, when it comes to your music?

The most fulfilling projects are those where there is a strong connection between the director’s artistic vision and mine. It’s a unique feeling that I can’t find anywhere else. For me, the result is always as good as the creative relationship that lies beneath it.

One of my favorite projects just premiered at Gasteig in Munich. It is a live radio play called “Das Andere Leben” (“A Different Life”). I wrote 40 minutes of music for string quartet, and we played live with the musicians sitting in a studio in Ukraine, connected to us via a screen. Them being confronted with the war and us sitting in Munich, telling a story from the 2nd world war with my music, combining these two places was an incredible experience.

I also recently finished a beautiful feature film, an intimate portrayal of a couple struggling to reconnect after facing difficult challenges. The music I wrote brings the thoughts and feelings of the main characters that stay unsaid to the surface. Warner Brothers Germany who produced the film then asked me to do another very special project with them, which I am thrilled to be part of even though I can’t share more details at this point. 

When it comes to my music, I am proud when it moves people, when it reaches out and sticks to them on whatever level. It can be on an emotional level or on a more conceptual level that enables curiosity or astonishment. Creating music solely for my own satisfaction isn’t fulfilling; the audience plays an integral and important role.

Alongside your film and art work, you’ve scored television shows like Animals Army, Friesland and Gute Monster. What has been your experience working on these shows, and how is working on tv different from working on film?

The main difference usually lies in the time pressure. When working on TV projects, I typically have only a few weeks to create between 40 and 60 minutes of music. In contrast, for film, it is not uncommon to have months to write the music, allowing much more time to experiment and explore.

 “Animals Army” was a great project, another one of my favorites. Again, it clicked between me and the directors, who discovered me on SoundCloud. The music I composed was very emotional, tackling a tough topic: the cruelty of the animal industry and the interests behind it. The soundtrack is available on all platforms.

“Friesland” is a German crime series with a lot of humor in it. The challenging part in writing the music here is to take the crime seriously without losing the humoristic ease the series is famous for. I did two episodes so far and I am currently working on a third one. 

“Gute Monster” won several awards; it is a mini-series created by my very talented friend Julia Zimth. She asked me if I could write songs for her, and I immediately agreed, even though I had never done it before. We collaborated on creating the lyrics, followed by my music production. In the end, the actors came to my studio, and we recorded their singing; we had a lot of fun. The music also received awards, showcasing that taking a leap into the unknown can lead to good things.

Spending time between London and Berlin, your schedule must be very busy! How do you pick your projects, and what would you like to focus on in the future?

My life is and has always been quite busy; I can’t stand it when it gets too calm. I live in both London and Berlin, and as my partner is Norwegian, we also spend time there. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to work in all these countries, and although it requires some planning skills, it works out very well. In my family, we speak three languages, sometimes a bizarre mix that sounds like a secret language … and we are used to packing our suitcases quickly.

Concerning projects, I primarily work for Germany, as that is where I started my career and where I have most of my connections. I always check my schedule, of course, and read the script, followed by a talk with the people working on the project to ensure the chemistry is right. Since post-Covid, Zoom calls are not unusual anymore, making it so much easier to schedule a meeting from anywhere. In the future, I would love to work on more British and international projects. I hope to soon have more time to expand my network in the UK. 

Your musical collaborations with contemporary artists have been exhibited in notable venues such as Kunsthalle Bremen, Kunsthalle Baden-Baden, Pergamon Museum Berlin, KW Institute for Contemporary Art Berlin, Berlinische Galerie and Galerie Thomas Schulte. How do you create music for art installations, and in your opinion, what makes a successful collaboration with an artist?

Creating music for art installations is a crucial aspect of my work. It offers more artistic freedom compared to working on films, where achieving a specific result involves accommodating various interests. Film scoring is a teamwork effort, frequently requiring compromises. When working with artists on installations, they typically discuss their visual work and ideas, leaving it to me to decide the musical direction. It’s more of a creative exchange, leading to potentially surprising results. This setting allows for experimentation and trying out “weird” things, something I enjoy a lot. I consider a piece successful in the art context when both the artist and I are satisfied with the result. In this context, audience feedback is usually limited, as people might not even dare to clap. It’s a very intuitive, intimate, and somewhat geeky experience that can also serve as inspiration for future works, including film scores.

Interview by Nami Melumad

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