“Amin’s music is a breath of fresh air.”
Oscar Peterson
“The standard has been set.”
Steve Porcaro
“…rating right up there with Wendy Carlos and Isao Tomita.”
Mark Vail, author of Vintage Synthesizers
ABOUT AMIN
With hundreds of scores to his credit, Emmy-nominated composer Amin Bhatia has written music for film, television, radio, theatre, and albums, for several decades, composing with as much passion as the day he started.
Born in London England, he grew up in Kampala Uganda until his family immigrated to Canada to escape political turmoil. His childhood was full of music from many cultures and his gift of perfect pitch gave him a unique ability to learn from them. Though he loved orchestral music, it was keyboards and electronics which fascinated him the most, so instead of the academic route he went with a Minimoog synthesizer and a 4-track tape recorder. In a short time this led to multiple prizes in the Roland International Synthesizer Competition and projects with Steve Porcaro of Toto and the infamous David Foster. (He even has a synth cameo on Michael Jackson‘s Thriller.)
His solo albums The Interstellar Suite and Virtuality pay homage to his love of science fiction TV and film scores, and many album tracks have become standard repertoire in music competitions. Amin recently became the first Canadian on the Board of Advisors for the Bob Moog Foundation.
Film and television projects include Anne with an E (CBC/Netflix); Sullivan’s Crossing (CTV/Bell Media), the internationally-acclaimed Flashpoint for CTV and CBS as well as the CBC series X Company, all while creating guest compositions for the hit series The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu/MGM Television), Fellow Travelers (Showtime/Paramount+), Queer as Folk (Alliance Atlantis/Bravo) and The Ray Bradbury Theatre (Showtime/Amazon). His feature film credits include Storm (Cannon Films/Groundstar), Iron Eagle II (Alliance Atlantis/Tri-star/Carolco), Rescue Heroes: The Movie (Nelvana/Fisher Price), John Woo’s Once a Thief (Alliance Atlantis/CTV) and many IMAX orchestral scores for award-winning filmmaker David Lickley.
Amin and long-time friend and collaborator Ari Posner have won numerous Canadian Screen Awards for their work on Anne with an E (CBC/Netflix), Detention Adventure (CBC/HBO Max/Broken Compass Films), Flashpoint (CTV/CBS) and Let’s Go Luna (PBS/TVO/9 Storey Entertainment/Brown Bag Films), as well as an Emmy Award nomination for the Disney sci-fi anime series Get Ed. Other collaborators include Arlene Bishop, Johnny Clegg, Ralph Dyck, Sarah Slean, and Meiro Stamm. Amin has been nominated twice for the Louis Applebaum Composers Award.
Amin’s music is as diverse as his own personal journey. “I’ve always been an outsider”, he admits “and music has been the only place where I can just be me. We’re slowly making progress in many forms of diversity and I love making music that serves those stories.” He is also an advocate for screen composers and serves on the Board of Directors for the Screen Composers Guild of Canada.
After being mentored by such luminaries as Steve Porcaro, Oscar Peterson, and David Greene, Amin is now giving back with workshops at various institutions including the Canadian Film Centre (CFC) and The Screen Composers Academy. He recently dusted off his acting resumé with speaking roles in Christoph Waltz‘s Georgetown, and CBS’s Blood and Treasure.
CREDITS (selected)
JANE GOODALL’S REASONS FOR HOPE IMAX/Cosmic Pictures/Science North
FELLOW TRAVELERS Showtime/Paramount+/Fremantle
BEACON 23 MGM+
KIPKEMBOI New Real Films/Telefilm/CBC Films
SULLIVAN’S CROSSING Reel World Management/Bell Media/Freemantle/CTV
DETENTION ADVENTURE CBC Gem/HBO Max, Broken Compass Films
ANNE with an E CBC/Netflix, Northwood Entertainment
LET’S GO LUNA 9 Story Entertainment/Brown Bag Films/PBS/TVO
THE HANDMAID’S TALE (additional music) Gilead Productions/MGM Television
X COMPANY Flashbang/Temple Street/CBC
FLASHPOINT CBS/CTV/Ion/Pink Sky/Avamar
THE INTERSTELLAR SUITE in 5.1 Surround 25 year Anniversary Triplet Records
See More Credits
RIDE Blink 49 Studios/Seven24 Films/Bell Media/CTV
ROSIE’S RULES 9 Story Media Group/Brown Bag Films/PBS Kids
WONDERS OF THE ARCTIC (IMAX 3D) Film Directed by David Lickley, Science North/Sci Minnesota
WILDFIRES 4D Multi-FX Ride Film Directed by David Lickley, Science North
MYSTERIES OF THE GREAT LAKES (IMAX) Directed by David Lickley, Science North/Sci Minnesota
VIRTUALITY Double Concept Album including Bolero Electronica, Bob Moog Foundation
GET ED (2 Seasons) Walt Disney/Red Rover, EMMY Nomination (w Ari Posner)
BLOOD AND FURY: AMERICA’S CIVIL WAR America’s Hero Channel
NASHID WORLDWIDE ANTHEM Orchestral Arrangement and Production, Aga Khan Foundation
RECIPE FOR A PERFECT CHRISTMAS Directed by Sheldon Larry, Lifetime Television (w Ari Posner)
BLOOD HONEY Film Directed by Jeff Kopas, Vitality Media Productions/Lumanity Films
QUEER AS FOLK Guest Composer Season 5 Alliance Atlantis/Bravo
KING (2 Seasons) Decode Entertainment/Teletoon, Gemini Award Winner (w Ari Posner)
JAMBO KENYA! Documentary Directed by Lalita Krishna, Insync Video/CBC
DETENTION Directed by Sidney J Furie, GFT Entertainment (w Meiro Stamm)
RESCUE HEROES: THE MOVIE Directed by Ron Pitts Nelvana
IN THE DARK Directed by Leonard Farlinger, Shaftesbury Films/CTV. Gemini Award Winner
FRANNY’S FEET (3 Seasons) Decode Entertainment/Teletoon, Gemini Nomination (w Ari Posner and Meiro Stamm)
JANE GOODALL’S WILD CHIMPANZEES (IMAX) Directed by David Lickley Science North
GOING BACK/UNDER HEAVY FIRE Directed by Sidney J Furie, GFT Entertainment
THE ZACK FILES Series Theme Decode Entertainment/Fox Network (w Ari Posner)
A COLDER KIND OF DEATH Directed by Brad Turner, Shaftesbury Films/CTV
THE WANDERING SOUL MURDERS Directed by Brad Turner, Shaftesbury Films/CTV
CODE NAME: ETERNITY Series – 26 episodes, Dune/Protocol, UFA/Warner Bros (w Trevor Morris)
POWER PLAY Series – 26 episodes, Alliance Atlantis/CTV
TALES FROM THE CRYPTKEEPER Series – 39 episodes, Nelvana/ABC
GOLD FEVER (IMAX) Directed by David Lickley, Science North/SK Films/Shaftesbury Films
JOHN WOO’S ONCE A THIEF Series – 22 episodes, Produced by William Lauren and Glenn Davis, Alliance Atlantis/CTV/Showcase Gemini Nomination
KUNG FU, THE LEGEND CONTINUES Series – additional music, Warner Bros/FOX
GRIDLOCK Directed by Sandor Stern, Alliance Atlantis/CTV/NBC, Gemini Nomination
JOHN WOO’S ONCE A THIEF Gemini Nomination Directed by John Woo, Alliance Atlantis/FOX
FREE WILLY Series – 26 episodes, Nelvana/ABC
THE AWAKENING Directed by George Bloomfield, Alliance Atlantis/Harlequin/CBS/CTV
SHOCK TREATMENT – Pilot Produced by William Lauren and Glenn Davis, Alliance/CTV/ CBS
A PASSION FOR MURDER/BLACK ICE Directed by Neill Fearnley, Prism Prod/Saban
ORDEAL IN THE ARCTIC Directed by Mark Sobel, Alliance Atlantis/ABC/CTV
CAFE ROMEO Directed by Rex Bromfield, Republic Pictures
STRANGER IN THE MIRROR Directed by Charles Jarrott, Paragon/Spelling/ABC/CTV
ANYTHING FOR LOVE/JUST ONE OF THE GIRLS Directed by Michael Keusch, Saban/FOX
THE RAY BRADBURY THEATER Series -11 episodes, Showtime/Amazon
IRON EAGLE II Directed by Sidney J Furie, Tri-Star/Alliance Atlantis/Carolco
STORM Award winner AMPIA, Directed by David Winning, Cannon Films/Groundstar
THE INTERSTELLAR SUITE Vintage Synth Concept Album, Remastered by David Greene, Capitol/Cinema Records
CFNY 102.1 THE EDGE Special Projects Producer/Sound Designer, Maclean Hunter
VANCOUVER PLANETARIUM The Interstellar Suite Full Length show, HR MacMillan Planetarium
BENSON AND HEDGES SYMPHONY OF FIRE The Interstellar Suite (Australia Presentation)
1988 WINTER OLYMPICS Synth Performance and Programming for Tommy Banks
TOTO: FAHRENHEIT Guest synthesist and programmer to Steve Porcaro CBS Records]
THE MANOR MARCH Keyboard Magazine – Soundpage with Steve Porcaro
FM96/CKXL 6 CLIO awards, Producer/Sound Designer Moffat Communications
DAVID FOSTER: THE BEST OF ME Synth programming for David Foster, MFSL Records
MICHAEL JACKSON: THRILLER Synth Programming for David Foster, Epic Records
DESERT MARCH OF THE MILITARY First Prize Roland International Synthesizer Competition, Roland Japan
FLIGHT BEYOND THE STARS Grand Prize Roland International Synthesizer Competition, Roland Japan
AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS
Canadian Screen Award Winner (2024) Best Original Music, Sullivan’s Crossing
Canadian Screen Award Nomination (2024) Best Original Music, Ride
CASMA Winner (2023) Best Original Score, Short Film Jane Goodall’s Reasons for Hoe
Canadian Screen Award Winner (2023) Best Original Music, Animation Let’s Go Luna
Canadian Screen Award Winner (2022) Best Original Music, Animation Let’s Go Luna
Canadian Screen Award Winner (2021) Best Original Music, Fiction
Detention Adventure
Canadian Screen Award Winner (2021) Best Original Music, Animation Let’s Go Luna
Canadian Screen Award Winner (2020) Best Original Music, Fiction Anne with an E
Louis Applebaum Composer’s Award Nomination (2022)
Canadian Screen Award Nomination (2019) Best Music for a Dramatic Series or Program
Anne with an E
Canadian Screen Award Nomination (2018) Best Music for a Dramatic Series or Program
Anne with an E
Canadian Screen Award Nomination (2018) Best Music for a Dramatic Series or Program X Company
Canadian Screen Award Nomination (2017) Best Music for a Dramatic Series or Program X Company
Canadian Screen Award Nomination (2016) Best Music for a Dramatic Series or Program X Company
Canadian Screen Award Winner (2012) Best Music for a Dramatic Series or Program
Flashpoint
Louis Applebaum Composer’s Award Nomination (2014)
Emmy Award Nomination (2006) Outstanding Main Title Theme Music
Get Ed
Gemini Award Winner (2006) Best Music Underscore for a Program
In the Dark
Gemini Award Winner (2005) Best Music for an Animated Series
King
Gemini Award Nomination (2011) Best Music for a Dramatic Series or Program Flashpoint
Gemini Award Nomination (2010) Best Music for a Dramatic Series or Program Flashpoint
Gemini Award Nomination (2009) Best Music for a Dramatic Series or Program Flashpoint
Gemini Award Nomination (2005) Best Music for an Animated Series Franny’s Feet
Gemini Award Nomination 1999) Best Music for a Dramatic Series
John Woo’s Once a Thief
Gemini Award Nomination (1998) Best Music Underscore for a Program
John Woo’s Once a Thief
Gemini Award Nomination (1997) Best Music Underscore for a Program
Gridlock
Ampia Award Winner (1991) Best Music for TV The Ray Bradbury Theatre
Ampia Award Winner (1987) Storm
CLIO Award Honourable Mentions (x 6) (1983-1986), Producer/Sound Designer
Moffat Communications
Roland International First Prize Winner (1982), Synthesizer Competition Roland Japan
Roland International Grand Prize Winner (1981), Synthesizer Competition Roland Japan
HIGH-RESOLUTION 300DPI IMAGES (click to download)