AMIN BHATIA Resumé

“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
Amin Blue Cover

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. At a young age he gravitated towards orchestral music, but with the limitations of not being able to fit an orchestra into his family home he obtained a Minimoog synthesizer instead which led him to multiple prizes in the Roland International Synthesizer Competition and projects with Steve Porcaro of Toto and the infamous David Foster.

Some of his synth programming even ended up on one of the most celebrated albums of all time: Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Bhatia eventually migrated to live players and acoustic scores, working with full size orchestras in Toronto, Munich, and Bratislava. Bhatia’s music has been likened to the harmonic inventiveness of Jerry Goldsmith and the technical prowess of Hans Zimmer.

His affinity with music and technology brought him to composing for film and television, composing various projects such as the CSA award winning series Anne with an E for CBC/Netflix; the internationally-acclaimed series 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), Queer as Folk (Alliance) and The Ray Bradbury Theatre (Showtime). His feature film credits include Storm (Cannon), Iron Eagle II (Alliance/Tristar), Rescue Heroes: The Movie (Nelvana/Fisher Price), John Woo’s Once a Thief (Alliance/CTV) and many IMAX orchestral scores for award-winning filmmaker David Lickley. Bhatia’s orchestral commissions include Dr Jane Goodall and His Highness the Agakhan.

Amin and long-time friend and collaborator Ari Posner have won numerous Canadian Screen Awards for their work on Anne with an E (CBC), Detention Adventure (CBC), Flashpoint (CTV/CBS) and Let’s Go Luna (PBS), 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 also been nominated twice for the Louis Applebaum Composers Award.

“I love writing for an audio visual medium,” says Amin. “Unlike songwriting and concert music, you have such inspi- ration from the film itself.” When asked what the future holds, he replied “I’m a sci-fi nerd at heart so I’d love to expand into video games and virtual reality. But it’s all about the characters, no matter what the setting, so I just love making music that serves the story.”

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. Bhatia has worked as a consultant to many synthesizer companies and is the first Canadian on the Board of Advisors for the Bob Moog Foundation. 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). He resides in Toronto with his wife, actor Danielle Nicole. His daughters Angie and Kel both have careers in arts and education, but they still have to endure Dad jokes!

CREDITS (selected)

JANE GOODALL’S REASONS FOR HOPE IMAX/Cosmic Pictures/Science North
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 (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
See More Awards and Nominations


Louis Applebaum Composer’s Award Nomination (2014)
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

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