Nick Wales's electronic classical music is immersive, visceral and progressive. From empowering beauty to magnetic dark passages, Wales's textural compositions inspire listeners across multi art-forms including popular and classical music, contemporary dance, film, theatre and the visual arts.
Recent commissions include collaborations with choreographer Marina Mascarelle for Ballet de l'Opéra de Lyon and Sydney Dance Company; The feature film score for True Spirit for Netflix feature dir. Sarah Spillane, ab intra for Rafael Bonachela and Sydney Dance Company, Zampatti, Maton and Step Into Paradise for MAAS Powerhouse Museum Sydney, The Greatest Menace podcast soundtrack for AMAZON/Audible, the Helpmann Award nominated AM I for Shaun Parker and Company and a new immersive work Cathedral for a Deep Valley for the Bundanon Trust.
Nick’s ongoing collaboration with Aboriginal song man Rrawun Maymuru has seen their work Nyapillilngu (Spirit Lady) feature in Sydney Dance Company’s 2017 production Ocho and win the Indigenous Language Award at the 2020 National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMAS).
A master of building tension, drama and spectacle, Nick has soundtracked Sarah Spillane’s feature films True Spirit (Netflix) and Around the Block. Television credits include Step into Paradise with Amanda Brown (Blakfella films / ABC) , The Lost Diggers of Fromelles (channel 4 UK), Bird Nerd:The Art of Leila Jeffreys (ABC), Hannah Gadsby’s Nakedy Nudes (ABC), Nothing to Lose (SBS).
Nick’s musical collaborators include Sarah Blasko , Bree van Reyk, Veronique Serret, Ngaiire, Tarik O’Regan, Sophie Hutchings, Deepchild, Stereogamous, Paul Mac, Jonny Seymour, Jess Green, Alyx Dennison, Jessica O’Donoghue, Jason Noble.
Visual Art collaborators include Mel O’Callaghan, Lauren Brincat, Justin Shoulder and Hayden Fowler. His collaborative works have featured at the Bienialle of Sydney, MMCA Seoul, The Adelaide Bienalle of Contemporary Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Sydney and in public collections including The Art Gallery of NSW, National Gallery of Australia and Artbank Australia.
While Wales's contemporary dance scores are both challenging and abstract, his pop and world music sensibilities are undeniable. Traversing all genres as a founding member of twice ARIA nominated art rock band CODA, he has also collaborated with Sarah Blasko for a number of years, writing the orchestral arrangements for her 2012 album I Awake and co-writing material for her albums on Eternal Return Depth of Field and Emergence.
EDUCATION
Undergraduate studies in composition (Bmus Hons. class 1) Sydney University (1993 - 1996) under Peter Sculthorpe, Ross Edwards and Anne Boyd.
Post Graduate Diploma in Screen Composition from the Australian Film and Television School “AFTRS” (2007 - 2009).
AWARDS
Best Original Score in a Documentary (2021) | Nomination | Step Into Paradise (with AMANDA BROWN) | AACTA (Australian Academy of Cinema & Television Arts) Award
INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE AWARD (2020) | WINNER | NYAPILLINGU (SPIRIT LADY) WITH RRAYWUN MAYMURU | NIMAS (National Indigenous Music Awards)
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (2014) | NOMINATION | AM I FOR SHAUN PARKER AND COMPANY | HELPMANN AWARDS FOR AUSTRALIAN LIVE PERFORMANCE
BEST WORLD MUSIC ALBUM (2007) | NOMINATION | CODA : CALLING MISSION MU | ARIA AWARDS
BEST WORLD MUSIC ALBUM (2002) | NOMINATION | CODA : THERE IS A WAY TO FLY | ARIA AWARDS
RECENT | UPCOMING
2023
March | Composer | ‘The Ghost, the Host, She Shell and the Lyrebird” | with Marina Mascarelle choreographer | Sydney Dance Company
2022 / 2023 | Album co-producer | Sophie Hutchings | A World Outside | for Mercury KX/DECCA UK
2022
Novemeber | Composer | ‘Cathedral’ String Orchestra, Piano, Birdsong | Bundanon Siteworks. Artist in Residence Bundanon NSW Australia.Site specific installation ion featuring text and voice Mathew Bergan.
November | Composer | Carla Zampatti | Exhibition soundscape with Stereogamous |Powerhouse Museum Sydney
October | Composer | ‘OCHO’ Sydney Dance Company | Sydney Triple Bill
September | Composer | ‘Found Objects’ | Shaun Parker and Company, Brisbane Festival
September | Composer | ’The Demon’ | Physical theatre work | Sydney Opera House, OzAsia Festival Adelaide
August | Composer | ‘The Romance of The Swag’ | Linda Jackson Exhibition Soundand Music 60min for Bathurst Regional Art Gallery
August | Composer | ‘All is Life’ | Mel O’Callaghan (France/AUS) Two-channel colour video, 32:9, 7.1 surround sound 18 minutes 30 seconds Carriageworks, Sydney
June | Composer Performer | ‘Happenings’ VIVID Sydney | The Calyx Royal Botanical Gardens Sydney
Jan - April | Composer ’True Spirit’ | Feature film, Resonate Entertainment / Netflix USA
March April | Composer ‘ab intra’ | Sydney Dance Company French Tour March April 2022 , Maison de la Danse, Lyon; Theatre National de Chaillot, Paris, Le Theatre Olympia d’Arachon, Arachon; Theatre de Gascoggne, Mont de Marsan.
February | Composer | ‘The Greatest Menace’ | Podcast soundtrack | Amazon / Audible
2021
July | Co- Composer (with Amanda Brown) | ‘Step into Paradise’ Feature Doco, Blakfella Films / ABC TV Australia
September | Musical Director | Final Show ‘Afterpay Fashion Week’ Sydney
April | Composer Performer | ‘Happenings’ City Activation | Create NSW
January | Arranger | Sounds of Then with Sarah Blasko | Colorbond Ad campaign
