"It's all about the story."
Swedish-born, Sydney-based Stage and Screen Composer, Songwriter, Musical Director and Performer, Maria Alfonsine’s focus is always: "It's all about the story” no matter what medium, role or style she is working in. She provides an intriguing place for her audience to escape across genres such as jazz, orchestral, folk-pop, musical theatre and experimental contemporary styles. With a strong and often grand vision, Maria works with traditional instruments as well as organic soundscapes created with voice and body percussion. Through her passion for integrating and considering all elements in a production, one often sees her work become an additional character to the story. She constantly falls in love with different kinds of instruments and fragments of sounds, whatever the story needs. Maria finds inspiration in everyday life, the inequalities of the world and the force of nature, and through her art she wishes to communicate insight, awareness, courage and liberation.
BIO
Maria Alfonsine (b. 1983) received an ARIA Nomination for her soundtrack album on Australian feature film Akoni (2022) with Nigerian singer Itunu Pepper. Most recently she together with Damian de Boos-Smith composed the score for the highly anticipated SBS TV series Swift Street which is one of eight series selected worldwide in the 2024 Canneseries Official Selection in the Short Form Competition. In 2023 she performed and music directed Hilary Bell and Greta Gertler Gold’s children’s musical Alphabetical Sydney: All Aboard! at the Sydney Opera House. In 2022 she composed and performed her score on clarinet in the Roslyn Packer Theatre in Sydney Theatre Company’s The Lifespan of a Fact starring Sigrid Thornton, Gareth Davies and Charles Wu. Maria is co-composer (with Caitlin Yeo and Damian de Boos-Smith) and musical director for acclaimed ABC TV series Wakefield (2021) created by Kristen Dunphy and Sam Meikle, directed by Jocelyn Moorhouse and Kim Mordaunt, produced by Jungle Entertainment, for which Maria received two APRA Nominations: “Best Music for a Television Series" (with Caitlin Yeo), and “Best Television Theme”. The Wakefield (Season One Official Soundtrack) also received an ARIA Nomination. Other recent work includes: advertisem*nts including Amazon, American Express, Specsavers and Plenti, reality TV show Snackmasters (2021), award-winning short film Goodbye Home (2020), Hilary Bell’s adaptations of Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors (Riverside Theatre, 2019) and Molière’s The Hypochondriac (with composer Phillip Johnston, Darlinghurst Theatre Company, 2018), and conductor and orchestrator for Metropolis Touring. Other credits include the musicals The Song of A Princess and Dr McCarb's Independent Surgical Hospital On The Hill (book by Michael Heming), dance performance piece Mens Rea: A Shifter's Intent (Raghav Handa), Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger's installation Deception, and vocalist and music editor on Stephan Elliott’s (The Adventure of Priscilla - Queen of the Desert) feature film Swinging Safari (2017). Trained in Sweden at Ingesund's Music School and Wendelsberg's Theatre School, Maria then obtained a Bachelor of Music in Composition and Music Production from the Australian Institute of Music as well as a First Class Honours in Compositionfrom the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. She is a three-times recipient of the Best Composer Award from the Sydney Film School. Together with her partner and fellow composer Damian de Boos-Smith, Maria runs MADBS Composing Palace where they compose, record and produce music for stage, screen and commercial release. They are currently in pre-production for Ensemble Theatre’s production Master Class, a play about the legendary opera singer Maria Callas.
CV
2024
Swift Street - Composer - Created by Tig Terera - SBS / Magpie Pictures
Send For Nellie - Musical Director / Performer - Merrigong Theatre
2023
Alphabetical Sydney: All Aboard! - Musical Director / Performer - Sydney Opera House
NCIS:Sydney (Main Title Theme) - Arranger/Performer - Paramount+ / Channel 10
Specsavers - Advertisem*nt - Composer - The Agency / Scoundrel
2022
The Lifespan of a Fact - Play - Composer/Sound designer/Performer - Sydney Theatre Company
Alphabetical Sydney: All Aboard - Musical by Hilary Bell, Greta Gertler Gold and Antonia Pesenti - Musical Director/Performer - Riverside Theatres
Amazon “Free Delivery” - Advertisem*nt - Composer - The Monkeys / Scoundrel
A Certain Mother - Documentary Film - Composer - dir. Mihaal Danziger
Mothertongues - Songs for audio book - Producer and Performer - Penguin Books
2021
Akoni - Feature Film - Composer - Dir. Genna Chanelle Hayes - One Love Films Bondi
George Ellis Orchestra - Conductor and Orchestrator - Metropolis Touring
Snackmasters - Channel 9 Reality TV Series - Composer - Hyperactive Music
Yumi’s Quality Foods - Advertisem*nt - Composer - Dir. Kelly Boulton
Gulf Western Oil - Advertisem*nt - Composer - Scoundrel / Dir. Tim Bullock
Plenti - Advertisem*nt - Composer - Rumble Studios
SCM Music Theatre Degree - Spotify Campaign - Composer/Voice Over Artist/Musician
Elton John/Bowie/Queen/Jersey Boys Orchestrated- Orchestrator/Orchestration Manager - George Ellis Orchestra
2020
Wakefield - ABC TV Series - Co-Composer/Musical Director - Jungle Entertainment Dir. Jocelyn Moorhouse & Kim Mordaunt, Showrunners Kristen Dunphy & Sam Meikle.
Goodbye Home - Short Film - Composer - Dir. Jonathan Chong, Written by Jett Tattersall
The Sentimental Bloke - Silent Film - Score Preparation - Composer Paul Mac
2019
Take Two A Comedy of Errors - Play by Hilary Bell - Composer - Riverside Theatres Parramatta
American Express Ideas Exchange - Advertisem*nt - Composer - Lavender CX / Dir. Ernesto Sumarkho
Chikas - Web Series - Composer - Dir. Simone McGennisken
2018
The Hypochondriac - Play by Hilary Bell - Sound Designer/Composer - Darlinghurst Theatre
Black Comedy - ABC TV Series - Composer - Sonar Music
Prehension - Short Film - Composer - Dir. Nina Kalkoff
Cosmic Dancer - Short Film - Composer/Lyricist - Dir. Emily O’Brien
Sisters - Web Series - Composer - Dir. Genna Chanelle Hayes - One Love Films Bondi
2017
Unexpected Joy Stockland Christmas 2017 - Advertisem*nt - Composer - Lavender CX / Dir.Ernesto Sumarkho
Pulse : Music From the TV Series - Soundtrack Album - Music & Lyrics for "Fighter"
Swinging Safari - Music Editor/Vocalist -Dir. Stephan Elliott - Piccadilly Pict./See Pict./Wildheart Films
Pulse - ABC Drama Series - Additional Music/Composer's Attachment - Clandestine/Beyond
Too Pretty To Be Witty - ABC's Fresh Blood/iView - Dir. Fiona Gillman/Petra Lovrencic
Deception - Installation - Composer/Sound Designer - artist Lea Kannar-Lichtenberger
Maya. - Short Film - Composer - Dir. Anagha Unni
Decorum - Short Film - Composer - Dir. Lorenzo Monti
Seek. - Short Film - Composer - Dir. Andreas Torstensson
Ocean Blue - Short Film - Composer/Lyricist - Dir. Johan Fredén
Trade - Play - Composer - Hurrah Hurrah Theatre Company - Dir. Alison Bennett
2016
Into The Blue - Short Film - Sound Designer - Dir. Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic
Without Consent - Documentary Short Film - Composer/Sound Designer - Dir. Diane Busuttil
Veov Drive - Short Film - Composer/Lyricist - Dir. Vittoria Merlino-Dentice
Babelism: Love & Memory - Live Performance Art - Composer/Lyricist - Metanoia Theatre
Centauri Lucy - Advertisem*nt Short Film - Composer - Dir. Yohet Xia
Scandinavian Film Festival - Jazz Band - Songwriter/Performer - Palace Cinemas Sydney
Mens Rea: The Shifter's Intent - Dance - Composer - Cairns/Brisbane/London - Raghav Handa
Lemon Tree - Play - Composer/Lyricist - Marques Laundry Theatre Co.- Dir. Alicia Gonzalez
2015
To The Top! - Musical Short Film - Composer - Dir. Fiona Gillman
Waiting In The Wings - Short Film - Composer - Dir. Melanie Jayne
Dr. McCarb's... - Musical Theatre - The New Theatre, Sydney - Book by Michael Heming
Girl of Myth and Legend - Book Soundtrack - Lyricist - Author Giselle Simlett
Scandinavian Film Festival - Jazz Band - Songwriter/Performer - Palace Cinemas Sydney
2014
Tranemo Art Gallery - Exhibition: Music & Photo Art - Tranemo Art Group
Lost In Leichhardt - Exhibition: Music & Photo Art - Pseudo Space
Chicken Coronation - Animated Short Film - Score/Sound Design - Dir. Marlon Atinyao
Scandinavian Film Festival - Jazz Band - Songwriter/Performer - Palace Cinemas Sydney
Sydney Hair Expo - Jazz Band - Songwriter/Performer - Pivot Point Australia
Make A Wish Foundation - Jazz Band - Songwriter/Performer - Sydney City Tattersalls Club
2013
Reflective Vibrations - Carillon piece - Performed by Lyn Fuller - Centenary of Canberra
Mistaken Identity - Short Film - Composer - Dir. Nick Atanasoff
At The Corner - Voice & Body Portfolio - Compilation Album Best of AIM - by Maria Alfonsine
2012
En Prinsessas Sång - Musical Theatre - Wendelsberg's Theatre - by Maria Alfonsine
Awards:
Nomination, 2022 ARIA Awards “Best Soundtrack Album” - Akoni (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) with Itunu Pepper
Nomination, 2021 APRA AGSC Screen Music Awards “Best Music for a Television Series" - Wakefield (with Caitlin Yeo)
Nomination, 2021 APRA AGSC Screen Music Awards “Best Television Theme" - Wakefield
Nomination, 2021 ARIA Awards “Best Soundtrack Album” - Wakefield (Season One Official Soundtrack) with Caitlin Yeo and Damian de Boos-Smith
First Class Honours, Bachelor of Music Studies (Composition), Sydney Conservatorium Of Music.
Winner, 2017 Best Composer - Maya.(Anagha Unni)and Ocean Blue (Johan Fredén) - Sydney Film School
Winner, Composer’s Attachment with Guy Gross, ABC TV Series Pulse - Screen NSW, Australian Guild of Screen Composers, Church Street Studios and Clandestine Beyond
Winner, 2016 Best Composer - Veov Drive (Vittoria Merlino Dentice) - Sydney Film School
Winner, 2015 Best Composer - To The Top (Fiona Gillman) with Zac Threadgold - Sydney Film School
2013 Finalist - Sydney Brass Festival - Sydney
2013 Highly Commended - Carillon Society of Australia and Wesley Music Foundation - Canberra
2013-2015 University Scholarship - The Australian Institute of Music - Sydney
Education:
First Class Honours in Composition (Bachelor of Music Studies) - The Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Australia 2019 (Teachers included Gerard Brophy, Daniel Rojas, Carl Vine and George Ellis).
Bachelor of Music - Majoring in Composition and Music Production - The Australian Institute of Music - Sydney, Australia 2013-2015 (Teachers included Drew Crawford, Caitlin Yeo, Anton Koch, Phillip Johnston, Simone East and Greg White).
Internship - Film, Musical Theatre and Jazz Composer: Phillip Johnston - Sydney 2014
Music Drama Course - Acting/Theatre Production/Pedagogue - Wendelsberg's Theatre School - Mölnlycke, Sweden 2010-2012
Music Course - Singer/Songwriter - Ingesund's Folk High School - Arvika, Sweden 2009-2010
Instrumental studies; piano, clarinet and vocal - Tranemo Music School - Sweden 1992-2002
For more information, full résumé and certificates please contact Maria Alfonsine.
Member of:
Home page photo taken by Michael Chow in my favorite Sydney café, Ampersand Cafe & Bookstore.
I acknowledge the Gadigal people,the traditional custodians of the land on which I live and work. I pay my respect to their Elders, past, present and emerging,and extend that respect to the Aboriginal andTorres Strait Islander people here and across the nation. I pay tribute to their wisdom, spirituality and connectedness. It always was and always will be their land.
