"It's all about the story."

Composer, Songwriter, Musical Director and Performer for Stage & Screen

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 see 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: advertisements 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 Composition from 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 - Advertisement - 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” - Advertisement - 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 - Advertisement - Composer - Dir. Kelly Boulton

• Gulf Western Oil - Advertisement - Composer - Scoundrel / Dir. Tim Bullock

• Plenti - Advertisement - 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 - Advertisement - 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 - Advertisement - 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 - Advertisement 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 and Torres 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.