About
Damian Scholl
Damian Scholl is a composer of Contemporary Music and Film Music.
Born and raised in rural Franconia, he began studying violin at an early age.
From the very beginning of his musical education he had a keen interest in composing and performing his own music.
Scholl continued to pursue his interest in composition by enrolling in the University of the Arts (UdK) Berlin, where he studied from 2008 to 2013 with Walter Zimmermann. During his years at the UdK, Scholl also studied with David Fennessy at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow. After his graduation he went on to study Film Music at the Film University Potsdam-Babelsberg, where he finished his academic education in 2017.
In 2014, Scholl was awarded a scholarship to work and live in the Villa Wasmuth near Bonn. The following year, he won the Deutscher Musikwettbewerb competition (for his piece Ghostbird) as well as the WDR Filmscore Award. In 2017, he was invited to the AYE Composer’s Week in Bangkok mentored by Dieter Mack, Peter Veale and Anothai Nitibhon.
His Orfeo reflections, a full-length work commissioned by Kissinger Sommer starring Lena Belkina as a soloist, has received standing ovations and critical acclaim.
Scholl has reveived numerous commissions – among others from Deutschlandfunk, WDR Funkhausorchester, Deutscher Musikrat, Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele and Linos Piano Trio.
Damian Scholl’s oevre to this date includes works for solo instruments and small chamber ensembles, as well as bigger works including a chamber opera and works for symphonic orchestra.
Scholl is an Alumnus of the notable scholarship Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes and a member of the German Film Academy.
As a film music composer, he first attracted attention with his music for Andres Veiel’s documentary BEUYS , together with his colleague Ulrich Reuter. The film was part of the official selection for the Competition at the Berlinale 2017 and the music nominated at the German Film Prize 2017 for Best Score.
The documentary Beyond the Visible – Hilma af Klint (2019), about swedish painter and pioneer of abstraction Hilma af Klint that was awarded a “Critic’s Pick” by the New York Times, is still being shown in cinemas worldwide.
His music for the documentary Plastic Fantastic earned him a nomination for Best Score in a Documentary at DOK.fest München 2023. The film is shown in cinemas starting January 2024.
In 2021, the Berlin Film Festival “Talents” program invited him alongside other filmmakers to discuss and connect.
Several of his New Music works have been released on record, as have been many of his soundtracks and his experimental solo album Till the Sun Breaks Down, published in 2023.
Damian Scholl is based in Berlin, Germany.
Curriculum Vitae
2023
– Till the Sun Breaks Down (experimental solo album) released.
– Documentary Plastic Fantastic (by Isa Willinger) premieres at DOK.fest München.
2022
– Premiere of Whale Song, commissioned and performed by WDR Funkhausorchester, conducted by Frank Strobel.
– Premiere of Tableaux, commissioned and performed by Linos Piano Trio.
– Documentary Generation Euromaidan – Fighting for Democracy (by Kristof Gerega) shown in cinemas.
2021
– Part of Berlinale Talents.
– Premiere of haunted chambers, commissioned and performed by Ensemble Sinn-fonietta.
– Portrait Concert at PARKmusik, organized by Sigune von Osten (also premiere of Jubilee for two violins and electronics).
2020
– Documentary Beyond the Visible – Hilma af Klint (D: Halina Dyrschka) is screened in cinemas all over the world. NY Times Critic’s Pick.
– Member of the Documentary Film Jury at Film Festival Max Ophüls Preis.
– Premiere of Havarie Petite (R: Simon Ostermann) at Max Ophüls Film Festival.
– Mon rêve familier released on CD by Janina Ruh.
– Premiere of eyes closed, commissioned and performed by Trio NeuGehört.
2019
– Premiere of Orfeo Reflections (110 min.) at Kissinger Sommer.
– Broadcast 24h Europe: The Next Generation on ARTE, rbb, i.a.
– Member of the Jury for Deutscher Dokumentarfilm-Musikpreis.
2018
– German Filmprize – nominated for Best Score (for BEUYS).
– Won Best Score in a documentary at the DOK.fest Munich (for BEUYS).
– Rå (R: Sophia Bösch) premières at the Berlinale.
– Premiere of r1o9n6d8o, performed by ensemble 20/21 at Deutschlandfunk.
– Premiere of Mon rêve familier – after Paul Verlaine at Schloss Elmau, performed by Janina Ruh.
– Premiere of The Pursuit of Beauty for Piano solo, performed by Julia Kammerlander.
– Premiere of Whereto at Ludwigsburger Schlossfestspiele, commissioned and performed by Xenon Saxophone Quartet.
2017
– BEUYS (documentary by Andres Veiel) premières in the Official Competition at Berlinale [music in cooperation with Ulrich Reuter]. Music nominated for Best Score at the German Filmmusic Prize 2017.
– premiere of Once I sat and listened at the AYE Composers’ Week in Bangkok.
2016
– Premiere of Ins Freie during Sommerliche Musiktage Hitzacker.
– Premiere of Von Windfarben und leisen Geburten as part of Forum neue Musik 2016 hosted by Deutschlandfunk, performed by ensemble 20/21, conducted by David Smeyers.
2015
– 1st Prize at the European Talent Competition held by Soundtrack_Cologne (WDR Filmscore Award).
– 1st Prize at Deutscher Musikwettbewerb (Preis des Deutschlandfunk).
2014
– Scholarship “Villa Wasmuth” (granted by Beethoven Haus Bonn e.V. and Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes).
2013
– enrolls for MA Film Music at Filmuniversität “Konrad Wolf” Potsdam-Babelsberg.
2012
– studies composition with David Fennessy at the RCS Glasgow.
2011
– receives scholarship by Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes (German National Academic Foundation).
2009
– Andreas-Werckmeister-Preis granted by the city of Halberstadt.
2008-2013
studies composition at the UdK Berlin with Walter Zimmermann and Daniel Ott.