Bio
Emily Hawkins is a British-German film and media composer who combines orchestral and electronic elements with ethereal vocals and evolving textures. Deeply moving, quirky, evocative, her music never fails to enhance storytelling and elicit strong emotions.
Emily has worked on a broad range of projects, from corporate idents, dance projects and podcast themes to films and library music. Recent projects include the documentary "The Last Cheetah's of Solitaire" with dirictor Mandy Mendelsohn, the feature film "Eine Wütende Frau" with award winning director Antonia Uhl, and the dance project "Fragments" with PDF dance theatre.
Emily’s passion for composing started at a very young age, writing short pieces for cello and piano when she should have been practicing. Her journey into the world of media music began at 17, when her piano pieces were used on UK TV shows such as Masterchef and Made in Chelsea. In 2014, she graduated with a first class honours Bachelor of Music from Newcastle University, specialising in composition and early music, and went on to complete an MA in Professional Media Composition with ThinkSpace Education, graduating with distinction.
In 2023 she was nominated for the European Talent Award at soundtrack Cologne.
Emily lives in Berlin with her partner and dog, Rosi.
“I was fascinated by music’s ability to heighten any emotion from a really young age - that intense physical reaction, the goosebumps that one note or chord can give you. I’ve always been inspired by visuals, and was composing with images and stories in my mind long before I started scoring to picture.”
“Being a good media composer is about more than just being good at writing music. Understanding and realizing the client’s vision is paramount, which I believe is one of my core strengths as a composer.”
TESTIMONIALS
“I always settled for stock music when I needed something for podcasting or a course I was creating, thinking working with a composer would be complicated. working with Emily was a breeze - she understood what I was going for, intuited directions I wanted it to go, and I ended up with something better than I imagined, all in less time than me spending days groaning while listening to stock clips that just were not it. I’ll never work with anyone else again!”
Caroline Donahue - Writing Coach and Podcaster
“Working with Emily Hawkins exceeded all my expectations. Within a very short time, she grasped both intellectually and intuitively the core of my film's content and emotional messages and invented the perfect musical language for it. Emily's composition lifted the film to a whole new level. I could also rely on Emily one hundred percent at all times, and the mood during the collaboration was such that trust and joy inspired wonderful, unexpected ideas.”
Klara Hobza - Artist and Filmmaker
“Emily is the kind of collaborator every filmmaker dreams of. Her score elevates and transforms, and she does it with patience and grace.”
Andrew Putschoegl - Filmmaker
“I was editing a teaser for a series and wanted to use existing music. Then, by pure chance, I discovered Emily. I don't believe in fate, but this certainly felt like it! The collaboration couldn't have been better. Emily is not only incredibly talented, but also works quickly and professionally. And on top of that she is a very friendly, positive and likeable person. She understood exactly what I wanted. The music for the teaser was absolutely perfect and gave the whole thing the right atmosphere. I am really looking forward to hopefully working with her again in the future.”
Melanie Hagen - Actor and Filmmaker
