University of West London (UWL) alumnus and lecturer Anastasios Antoniou was one of just eighteen composers and sound designers nominated for the European Talent Award at SoundTrack Cologne, held in July.
Celebrating film scoring and sound design
SoundTrack Cologne is widely recognised as Europe’s leading conference dedicated to music and sound for film, television and video games. Its European Talent Award celebrates emerging composers and sound designers, who had the choice of composing an original score, creating the sound design, or working collaboratively as a composer and sound designer team for the short film FAKE NEWS directed by David Seul.
Anastasios and colleague Daniella Nassar co-composed an original score for the film and presented it alongside the other nominees to a live audience and jury at Cologne’s ODEON Cinema on 17 July.
From student to lecturer
A British-born Cypriot composer based in London, Anastasios trained in composition, percussion, and piano before completing his MMus Composition for Film and TV with Distinction at UWL’s London College of Music (LCM) in 2023.
During his studies, he focused his research on polymetric composition. He now shares his expertise with the next generation of composers as a lecturer at LCM, specialising in recording and sampling.
An international career
Throughout his career, Anastasios has collaborated with acclaimed artists and ensembles including the London Contemporary Orchestra, Rival Consoles, Alex Somers and Alev Lenz.
His music has been used worldwide for major networks such as the BBC (domestic and World Service), TVI Portugal, Fox Sports USA, and TBS Japan. Alongside media music, his work has also seen live performances at landmark venues in London including the Royal Albert Hall (BBC Proms) and the Queen Elizabeth Hall.
Reflecting on his nomination and participation in the festival, Anastasios said:
“It is such a privilege to be nominated for the European Talent Award and to attend SoundTrack Cologne! The week was wonderful and I had the pleasure of seeing both new and familiar faces which made it nothing short of memorable. I’m immensely grateful and proud for the opportunity and am already looking forward to coming back to Cologne next year!”
Dr Simone Spagnolo, Head of Composition at UWL’s London College of Music said:
“This splendid achievement once again highlights the international standing of our composition community. Anastasios’ SoundTrack Cologne nomination is a testament to his impressive career progression from a talented student to a professional composer and inspiring lecturer.”