News - Wise Music Creative

14.12.2020

WORLD PREMIERE: No Friend But The Mountains: A Symphonic Song Cycle

2021 WORLD PREMIERE of a New Australian work by Luke Styles NO FRIEND BUT THE MOUNTAINS: A SYMPHONIC SONG CYCLELibretto by Behrouz Boochani We are thrilled to announce the upcoming world premiere of a new Australian musical work No Friend But The Mountains: A Symphonic Song Cycle by Luke Styles on March 21st, 2021 at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, as part of Arts Centre Melbourne’s Live at the Bowl Summer Festival. No Friend But The Mountains is the multi-award winning biography by Kurdish-Iranian journalist, writer and film-maker Behrouz Boochani that inspired this choral symphony by prolific Australian composer, Luke Styles. The book chronicles the story of Boochani’s perilous journey as a refugee and his forced detention on Manus Island with other refugees. Originally planned for November 2020 and delayed due to COVID restrictions, the 2021 premiere of this symphonic song cycle for orchestra, choir and soloist will be performed by the Zelman Symphony, Melbourne Bach Choir, and Bass Baritone Adrian Tamburini, conducted by Rick Prakhoff. Drawing on Boochani’s powerful poetry and prose to tell this extraordinary story, the song cycle will also explore themes of Australian identity, including incarceration and the search for a safe haven, both recurring aspects of Australia’s story from its convict past to today. “Behrouz’s story is the most recent iteration of an important part of Australia’s story,” says Luke Styles. “He was imprisoned on Manus Island, a place of incredible beauty and intense isolation. Australia is itself a beautiful and remote island that was and still is a multifaceted prison that has incarcerated its own people, convicts, migrants and refugees alike, throughout its history.” Written secretly in Farsi over many years via mobile phone and sent to his translator and others as hundreds of text messages, Boochani’s book is a window into the conditions endured by detainees on Manus Island, illuminating a part of Australia’s story that was never meant to be seen. Boochani describes a brutal system ostensibly designed to deter other asylum seekers while breaking and dehumanizing those trapped in it - calling inmates by a number not a name, housing them in cramped, prison-like conditions with nothing to do all day and providing barely adequate food, water and utilities.Boochani wrote the book not just to tell his own story, but to shine a light on the system and the people caught in it. Luke Styles was deeply moved by the book and heard in it an Australian story that could be told through a large scale orchestral and vocal symphony. Zelman Symphony and the Melbourne Bach Choir with Adrian Tamburini will perform the World Premiere of No Friend But The Mountains: A Symphonic Song Cycle in a COVID safe setting at Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl on March 21, 2021 with some 125 performers. With Professor Boochani unlikely to be admitted into Australia to attend the premiere, organisers are planning to livestream him into the performance. No Friend But The Mountains: A Symphonic Song Cycle21st March, 2021, 5.00pmSidney Myer Music Bowl, MelbourneTickets on sale from 16th December – Arts Centre Melbourne 1300 182 183 and Zelman Symphony

14.12.2020

WORLD PREMIERE: No Friend But The Mountains: A Symphonic Song Cycle

2021 WORLD PREMIERE of a New Australian work by Luke Styles NO FRIEND BUT THE MOUNTAINS: A SYMPHONIC SONG CYCLELibretto by Behrouz Boochani We are thrilled to announce the upcoming world premiere ...

09.12.2020

Wise Music Group Acquires Catalogue Of Legendary Italian Film Composer Riz Ortolani

Wise Music Group is proud to announce it has acquired the catalogue of legendary Italian composer Riziero ‘Riz’ Ortolani. Ortolani, who passed away in 2014 at the age of 87, was one of the most important Italian composers of the last century. He scored over two hundred films, working at first within the Italian genres of Mondo, Giallo and the Spaghetti Western before going on to score many Hollywood movies including The 7th Dawn, The Yellow Rolls-Royce, The Glory Boys, The Battle For Anzio, Buona Sera, Mrs Campbell and The Valachi Papers. His most famous composition is More which he wrote for the documentary Mondo Cane. It won the 1964 Grammy for Best Instrumental Theme and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 1965 Forget Domani won a Golden Globe for Best Film Song (from The Yellow Rolls-Royce). His music has been re-used in recent movies such as Drive, Django Unchained, Kill Bill (Vols I & II), and Inglourious Basterds. Wise Music Group Chief Executive Officer, David Holley says: ‘We’re pleased to give the wonderful catalogue of Riz Ortolani a home in our family-run business. The rich legacy of his work in the world of Italian film music and beyond into Hollywood is something that we feel honoured to protect and build on through our global network. We look forward to creating fruitful opportunities for this stellar collection of rights.’ Chris Butler, Director of Global Rights Development at Wise Music Group comments: ‘We are delighted to have acquired the works of Riziero Ortolani that are national treasures and enduring evergreens.’ Listen here

09.12.2020

Wise Music Group Acquires Catalogue Of Legendary Italian Film Composer Riz Ortolani

Wise Music Group is proud to announce it has acquired the catalogue of legendary Italian composer Riziero ‘Riz’ Ortolani. Ortolani, who passed away in 2014 at the age of 87, was one of the ...

06.11.2020

Ólafur Arnalds Releases New Album 'some kind of peace'

Icelandic multi-instrumentalist and composer Ólafur Arnalds has today released his new album, some kind of peace, on Mercury KX. The album is a vulnerable and daring exploration on what it means to be alive with Ólafur urging the listener to embrace all that life throws at you while finding your own inner peace. some kind of peace is a personal journey told through Ólafur's introspective music, against the backdrop of a chaotic world. The album is released alongside new single 'The Bottom Line', featuring German-Korean singer and producer Josin. Olafur writes "It is a personal album, my most personal to date. I've poured all of my love, dreams and fears into this album through a magical but difficult process. But the results is something that makes me immensely proud and happy to be doing what I do."

06.11.2020

Ólafur Arnalds Releases New Album 'some kind of peace'

Icelandic multi-instrumentalist and composer Ólafur Arnalds has today released his new album, some kind of peace, on Mercury KX. The album is a vulnerable and daring exploration on what it means to ...

22.09.2020

Ludovico Einaudi Releases New Collection Of Work

Ludovico Einaudi's latest album is out now, released last Friday 18th September. Einaudi Undiscovered is a special collection of hidden gems, unreleased tracks, live renditions and lesser-known material from his soundtrack work, all hand-picked himself from his incredibly rich and extensive back catalogue. Einaudi said of the release "For me it was nice to look back, brush up my memories, being surprised and somehow rediscover myself, and compose a new necklace made of stones of my past". Check out the trailer for the album below: Listen here

22.09.2020

Ludovico Einaudi Releases New Collection Of Work

Ludovico Einaudi's latest album is out now, released last Friday 18th September. Einaudi Undiscovered is a special collection of hidden gems, unreleased tracks, live renditions and lesser-known ...

17.06.2020

Frans Bak Signs To Wise Music Group

Frans Bak has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Edition Wilhelm Hansen, part of Wise Muisic Group. Considered one of the pioneers of the 'Nordic Noir' genre of music, and with over thirty years of experience scoring for film, television and advertising, Bak has created soundracks to critically acclaimed series such as Lilyhamer, Doctor Foster, Disparue and The Killing, setting a new musical standard for cime TV and inspiring other composers to apply the 'Nordic feel'. In addition to his career as a film and television composer, Bak has also released independent albums such as 2016's Sound Of North, with the main inspiration being his upbriging. Bak is set to release an album of new musical works, Piano, in Spring 2020. The latest single 'Waiting' can be heard on Spotify here.

17.06.2020

Frans Bak Signs To Wise Music Group

Frans Bak has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Edition Wilhelm Hansen, part of Wise Muisic Group. Considered one of the pioneers of the 'Nordic Noir' genre of music, and with over thirty ...

17.06.2020

Toots and the Maytals release new single and announces album "Got To Be Tough"

Roots reggae icons Toots and the Maytals have announced a new album, Got to Be Tough, to be released via Trojan Jamaica/BMG Records on 28th August. It marks the pioneer group's first studio album in a decade, following Flip and Twist in 2010. Got To Be Tough is an energising body of work that renews the nearly 60-year career of the band who helped launch the reggae sound. Listen to the title track:

17.06.2020

Toots and the Maytals release new single and announces album "Got To Be Tough"

Roots reggae icons Toots and the Maytals have announced a new album, Got to Be Tough, to be released via Trojan Jamaica/BMG Records on 28th August. It marks the pioneer group's first studio album in ...

17.06.2020

Brandon Beal signs publishing deal

Brandon Beal signs worldwide publishing deal with Edition Wilhelm Hansen, part of Wise Music Group We are very proud to announce Brandon Beal as the newest signing with Edition Wilhelm Hansen, part of Wise Music Group. The American songwriter, performer and producer is behind such multi-platinum hits as 'Twerk It Like Miley' (2014) and 'Golden' (2016) – both having topped the Danish Music Charts. Through his career, he has worked with stars within pop, hip hop and urban music, such as Snoop Dogg, Flo Rida, Kato and Lukas Graham.

17.06.2020

Brandon Beal signs publishing deal

Brandon Beal signs worldwide publishing deal with Edition Wilhelm Hansen, part of Wise Music Group We are very proud to announce Brandon Beal as the newest signing with Edition Wilhelm Hansen, part ...

16.06.2020

Wise Music Group Announces Renewed Publishing Relationship with Hildur Guðnadóttir

Wise Music Group is delighted to announce a renewed worldwide publishing relationship with the Academy Award-winning Icelandic composer and cellist Hildur Guðnadóttir, including representation of her back catalogue albums, Saman (2014), Leyfðu Ljósinu (2012), Without Sinking (2009) and Mount A (2006). Widely recognized for her historic awards season sweep within the past year, Guðnadóttir scored Todd Phillips’Joker(2019), for which she received an Academy Award, Golden Globe, and a BAFTA. Additionally, Guðnadóttir garnered a Primetime Emmy Award and a Grammy Award for scoring HBO’s acclaimed mini-series “Chernobyl” (2019) and was named Television Composer of the Year at the 2019 World Soundtrack Awards in Ghent. Currently working on a new solo album for the classical music label Deutsche Grammophon, as well as composing for video games which will further showcase her use of modular electroacoustic instruments, Guðnadóttir takes a full circle approach to her creativity, embracing works for film, media, concert hall, installations, and material written for herself as a performer. In her solo works she draws out a broad spectrum of sounds from her instrument, ranging from intimate simplicity to huge soundscapes. Her work for film and television includes Sicario: Day of the Soldado(2018), Mary Magdalene (2018), Tom of Finland (2017), Journey’s End (2017) and many episodes for the Icelandic television series Trappedcurrently streaming on Amazon Prime. Guðnadóttir has additionally composed music for theatre and dance, with commissions for the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the National Theatre of Iceland, Tate Modern, The Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm, and Gothenburg National Theatre. Jeffrey Duncan, Executive Vice President of Wise Music Group in Los Angeles comments:“Wise Music is thrilled to continue representing Hildur and her singular musical vision. Our truly international publishing services as well as catalogue spanning all genres from contemporary orchestral masterpieces to evergreen pop hits, makes us uniquely suited to support her journey.” See an overview of her catalog here: Spotlight On: Hildur Guðnadóttir.

16.06.2020

Wise Music Group Announces Renewed Publishing Relationship with Hildur Guðnadóttir

Wise Music Group is delighted to announce a renewed worldwide publishing relationship with the Academy Award-winning Icelandic composer and cellist Hildur Guðnadóttir, including representation of ...

04.02.2020

Evan Dando & Ólafur Arnalds Sign to Wise Music Group

Evan Dando of The Lemonheads has signed a publishing agreement with Wise Music USA, part of Wise Music Group. The worldwide deal includes all of Evan’s work to date, including hit songs such as “It’s a Shame About Ray,” “My Drug Buddy,” “Confetti,” “Rudderless,” and “Big Gay Heart.” Evan Dando comments:“I’m super excited that for the first time in my career, all of my publishing will be with one company under the same roof. I’m looking forward to a successful partnership with Wise Music.” Tomas Wise, CEO of Wise Music USA says: “Growing up my brothers and I listened to The Lemonheads religiously. We were their biggest fans. I could not be more thrilled to be representing their music today. Everyone at Wise Music is excited to work with Evan and his team and are squinting at the bright future ahead.” The Lemonheads will join Adam Ant’s 2020 “Friend or Foe” tour as the special guests for the dates of May 9th in Seattle, May 14th in Oakland, and May 16th in Los Angeles.About Evan Dando Evan Griffith Dando is an American musician and frontman of the Lemonheads. He has also embarked on a solo career and collaborated on songs with various artists. The Lemonheads were formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1986 by Evan Dando with the group quickly creating three raucous albums under a local Boston label Taang! full of discordant punk chords and alt-country-tinge melodies. An Atlantic Records deal led the band to mature their sound in the fourth studio album and collaboration between Dando, songwriter Tom Morgan and future bassist Nic Dalton, that created radio-friendly singles and mellow melodies began to grow the fan base. Subsequent albums “It’s A Shame About Ray” and “Come On Feel The Lemonheads” focused on Dando’s vocals and turn of phrase and with hits such as “Into Your Arms” the group had a worldwide touring appeal. Dando released a magnificent solo album “Baby, I’m Bored” in 2003 and continued to create music born of 70s punk and cosmic country. Dando’s 2008 album “Varshons” was a collection of well-known cover tracks set a new experimental tone and with the 2019 release of “Varshons 2,” The Lemonheads return for their tenth studio album. Ólafur Arnalds has signed an exclusive worldwide publishing deal with Bosworth Music GmbH, part of Wise Music Group. The catalogue includes Flow 1 and Flow 2 from Ekki Hugsa 360°, a commission from the Reeperbahn Festival, plus all upcoming works. Ólafur Arnalds comments:“I am thrilled to be joining the Bosworth / Wise Music family’s close-knit community. Their long history combined with their embracing of change within the music industry made me confident that they were the right team for me and my variety of projects.” Michael Ohst, Managing Director of Bosworth Music says: “We have been following Ólafur’s career with huge interest during the last years and are thrilled to work with him and support him in his future activities." About Ólafur Arnalds Ólafur Arnalds is a multi-instrumentalist and composer - internationally known for his haunting musical style. He captivatingly combines elements of ambient, classical, electronic, pop and rock music. His recent album “re:member” (2018) follows the success of his innovative musical project Island Songs (2016). “re:member” features Ólafur’s new software, Stratus, which transforms the humble piano into a unique new instrument. Ólafur has been praised for his extensive soundtrack work, including composing the score for ITV’s Broadchurch, for which he won the 2014 BAFTA for Best Original Music. He has been involved in various other media projects and his music appears in many films, television shows and advertisements. Together with Barði Jóhannson (Bang Gang), Ólafur composed music for “Dyad 1909”, a Random Dance/Wayne McGregor project. This music was released as an album in 2009. Furthermore, Arnalds formed the experimental techno project “Kiasmos” together with Janus Rasmussen. They have released two albums so far: “Blurred” (2017) and “Kiasmos” (2014).

04.02.2020

Evan Dando & Ólafur Arnalds Sign to Wise Music Group

Evan Dando of The Lemonheads has signed a publishing agreement with Wise Music USA, part of Wise Music Group. The worldwide deal includes all of Evan’s work to date, including hit songs such as ...

02.02.2020

The Music Sales Group Re-brands As Wise Music Group

We’ve just rebranded ourselves as Wise Music Group. This name-change, effective from Monday 3rd February 2020, is also reflected in our various international office titles. Our Chairman Robert Wise announced the name-change as follows: “As many of you know, following years of successful print publishing we have recently refocused on expanding our already substantial portfolio of music catalogues. Our new name reflects both the continuity of our business approach and the fact that ours is very much a family business currently with two generations of the Wise family guiding our progress.” About UsThe rebranded company will maintain the existing global network of standalone offices in London, New York, Los Angeles, Sydney, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris, Tokyo and Berlin. Of course, we retain our world-famous publishing houses and imprints that include Associated Music Publishers, Bosworth Music GmbH, Campbell Connelly, Le Chant du Monde, Chester Music, G. Schirmer, Éditions Alphonse Leduc, Edition Wilhelm Hansen, Novello & Co, Première Music Group and Unión Musical Ediciones. Wise Music Group now owns or controls nearly half a million copyrights – including the world’s largest independent holding of historic and contemporary classical music – as well as a huge range of popular songs spanning every genre. The group also represents nearly 100 of today’s most successful living composers and songwriters working in classical music, opera, ballet, pop, film, television and advertising. Represented composers include Hans Abrahamsen, Ólafur Arnalds, Samuel Barber, John Corigliano, Ludovico Einaudi, Philip Glass, Aram Khachaturian, Missy Mazzoli, Olivier Messiaen, Francis Poulenc, Sergei Prokofiev, Kaija Saariaho, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Dmitri Shostakovich, Jean Sibelius, Igor Stravinsky, Tan Dun, Joby Talbot, John Tavener and Anna Thorvaldsdóttir.

02.02.2020

The Music Sales Group Re-brands As Wise Music Group

We’ve just rebranded ourselves as Wise Music Group. This name-change, effective from Monday 3rd February 2020, is also reflected in our various international office titles. Our Chairman Robert ...

02.02.2020

Luke Elliot's New Single 'All On Board' Out Now

Luke Elliot has today released his new single 'All On Board' off his upcoming album due out on April 24th. A singer-songwriter from New Jersey with a background in rock ‘n’ roll and Americana, Elliot believes in breaking the boundaries of genre, producing unique and philosophical music. Head to his website for details on upcoming shows in Sweden and Norway and be sure to check out the new single. Listen here

02.02.2020

Luke Elliot's New Single 'All On Board' Out Now

Luke Elliot has today released his new single 'All On Board' off his upcoming album due out on April 24th. A singer-songwriter from New Jersey with a background in rock ‘n’ roll and Americana, ...

06.01.2020

Hildur Guðnadóttir Wins At Golden Globes

Hildur Guðnadóttir has won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score for her haunting soundtrack to Joker. Nominated alongside Randy Newman, Alexandre Desplat, Thomas Newman and Daniel Pemberton, Guðnadóttir's win makes her the first-ever solo female winner in this category. In her acceptance speech, Guðnadóttir thanked Joker director Todd Phillips and star Joaquin Phoenix for their support; "Thank you, Todd, for inviting me on the journey of a lifetime, for all the trust and your faith and openness. Thank you, Joaquin, for making my job really easy with a spectacular, unbelievable performance." See full list of winners

06.01.2020

Hildur Guðnadóttir Wins At Golden Globes

Hildur Guðnadóttir has won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score for her haunting soundtrack to Joker. Nominated alongside Randy Newman, Alexandre Desplat, Thomas Newman and Daniel ...

20.08.2019

Embassy Music Publishing signs publishing agreement with Australian pop duo The Beamish Brothers

Embassy Music Publishing is excited to announce a worldwide* publishing agreement with rising Australian pop duo The Beamish Brothers, for their debut EP ‘Brutalism’. Ben and Jeremy Beamish, the multi-talented siblings who hail from Toowoomba, are handcrafting a new flavour of intelligent alt-pop music, “a signature style sitting harmoniously between the worlds of folk, soul and pop” (Vicky Hebbs, Amplify). After successful tours of the US, Spain, Japan and Korea, the brothers are ready to ride the wave of success with their debut EP 'Brutalism'. The 4 track EP features the latest single ‘Crying No Tears’, a ballad of beautifully laid harmonies and emotion that encapsulates the feeling of seeing someone you love hit rock bottom while still putting on a brave face. The debut music video for their first single from the EP, ‘Kills Me Every Time’, continues to receive a tremendous amount of attention with over 80,000 streams on Spotify and over 64,000 on their music video alone. “The duo’s synergy is apparent through their attention to and delivery of flawless, celestial harmonies. The pair strike an endearing contrast, aligning elements of fragility with more raw, fiery vocals. Their smooth, minimalistic guitar sound serves as the perfect tool to illuminate their dominant construction of harmonies.” — Artist 1 on 1 Managing Director of Embassy Music Publishing (Music Sales Australia), Jane English, says of the signing, “When I first heard ‘Kills Me Every Time’ I was not surprised their EP, Brutalism, was already signed for South Korea. It’s such an airy, stripped-back acoustic, neo-soul sound, that seems to suit the South Korean market. Everyone at Embassy Music Publishing fell in love with that song. Plus, as a result of their recent tour through Japan and South Korea, The BBs are already in there collaborating with Japanese artists, such as The Syamisenist Japan and Kaiki. Asia is such a natural market for their sound and, as the guys embark on their East Coast tour of Australia to promote Brutalism, they are going to win everyone over here too.” Ben and Jeremy Beamish look forward to working with Embassy, "We're both so excited to have signed this deal with Embassy for our EP. It's one of those cool moments when the songs we write and record by ourselves in our home studio receive recognition from the industry. We didn't expect this but it's incredible to join forces with the Embassy team and we look forward to seeing where this opportunity takes us and our music." Listen to the EP here

20.08.2019

Embassy Music Publishing signs publishing agreement with Australian pop duo The Beamish Brothers

Embassy Music Publishing is excited to announce a worldwide* publishing agreement with rising Australian pop duo The Beamish Brothers, for their debut EP ‘Brutalism’. Ben and Jeremy Beamish, the ...

13.08.2019

Ludovico Einaudi Commits Music Publishing Future To Music Sales Group

The Italian composer and pianist Ludovico Einaudi has agreed a new, exclusive long-term publishing contract with Chester Music Limited, part of The Music Sales Group of Companies. Ludovico Einaudi comments: 'Music Sales is like a big beautiful family. In the last years we have done so many amazing projects together and I am very proud to continue this fantastic adventure with them.'Chris Butler, Director of Global Rights Development at Music Sales says: 'Working with Ludovico over a sustained period has been a revelation and it is a privilege to publish the music of such a creative composer, artist and performer. Each project scales new heights of innovation and there is so much more to come as we continue the partnership. Ludovico has recently been acknowledged as the most streamed classical artist of all time, quite aside from his pre-eminence as a live performer, and his enduring popularity in the synchronisation market.' *** Superstar Italian composer and pianist Ludovico Einaudi, famed for his rippling cinematic music, is set to make his long-awaited return to Australia, bringing his spectacular latest Seven Days Walking and four decades of genre-defying favourites. LAUNCESTON19 Jan 2020Mona FomaSYDNEY20 Jan 8pm SOLD OUT21 Jan 6:15pm21 Jan 9:30pmSydney Opera HouseADELAIDE23 Jan 2020Thebarton TheatreMELBOURNE25 Jan 2020Sidney Myer Music Bowl

13.08.2019

Ludovico Einaudi Commits Music Publishing Future To Music Sales Group

The Italian composer and pianist Ludovico Einaudi has agreed a new, exclusive long-term publishing contract with Chester Music Limited, part of The Music Sales Group of Companies. Ludovico Einaudi ...

13.08.2019

2019 TIFF Premieres Announced

The lineup of premieres for this year's Toronto International Film Festival has been announced and among the many high-profile features are a number of projects for which Music Sales composers have composed original scores. Hildur Guðnadóttir scored the new Joker film directed by Todd Phillips; Jed Kurzel wrote the music for Justin Kurzel's True History Of The Kelly Gang; Peter Gregson composed the score for British director Roger Michell's Blackbird; and Rupert Goold's Judy Garland biopic Judy has music by Gabriel Yared. More info

13.08.2019

2019 TIFF Premieres Announced

The lineup of premieres for this year's Toronto International Film Festival has been announced and among the many high-profile features are a number of projects for which Music Sales composers have ...