--- name: "David Hirschfelder" canonical: "https://film.one/person/david-hirschfelder" fi1m_id: "david-hirschfelder" imdb_id: "nm0386595" tmdb_id: 37757 wikidata_id: "Q1174736" roles: ["Composer"] born: "18 November 1960" reviewed_on_fi1m: 5 average_fi1m_score: 74 average_over: 5 updated: "2026-10-03T08:18:08.667082+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # David Hirschfelder ## Identity David Hirschfelder - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/david-hirschfelder - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** david-hirschfelder - **IMDb ID:** nm0386595 - **TMDB ID:** 37757 - **Wikidata ID:** Q1174736 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hirschfelder, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1174736, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0386595/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/37757 Composer. Born 18 November 1960 in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. ## Details - **Work:** Composer - **Born:** 18 November 1960, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia - **Active:** 1992–2008 - **Frequently works with:** [Baz Luhrmann](https://film.one/person/baz-luhrmann.md), [Geoffrey Rush](https://film.one/person/geoffrey-rush.md) - **BAFTA Film Awards:** 2 BAFTAs (2 won · 1 nominated) - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 78 (4), 2000s 58 (1) - **Fi1m against the critics:** 74 to 71 across 5 titles - **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 1 under 60 - **Genres:** Drama 5, Romance 3, Comedy 2, Adventure 1, Fantasy 1, History 1 - **Screen time:** 10 hours of reviewed films - **Box office:** $423m across 5 films with figures - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hirschfelder, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1174736, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0386595/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/37757 ## Streaming the US now - **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Strictly Ballroom*](https://film.one/film/strictly-ballroom.md) (83) - **Peacock:** [*Sliding Doors*](https://film.one/film/sliding-doors.md) (63) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Biography David Hirschfelder (born 18 November 1960) is an Australian composer and musician. Born in Ballarat, Victoria, he began as a keyboardist in bands including Pyramid and Little River Band (1983–1986), later working with John Farnham before transitioning to film scoring. His first major film score was for Baz Luhrmann’s *Strictly Ballroom* (1992), for which he won a BAFTA. He received Academy Award nominations for *Shine* (1996) and *Elizabeth* (1998), and has composed for films including *Australia* (2008), *The Water Diviner* (2014) and *The Dressmaker* (2015). *Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.* ## On Fi1m (5) - *Australia* (2008), Fi1m 58, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/australia.md) - *Elizabeth* (1998), Fi1m 82, Music, Original Music Composer — [page](https://film.one/film/elizabeth.md) - *Sliding Doors* (1998), Fi1m 63, Original Music Composer, Music, Orchestrator — [page](https://film.one/film/sliding-doors.md) - *Shine* (1996), Fi1m 82, Music, Original Music Composer — [page](https://film.one/film/shine.md) - *Strictly Ballroom* (1992), Fi1m 83, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/strictly-ballroom.md) ## Complete filmography (54) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Not Only Fred Dagg But Also John Clarke* (2025), Music - *The Fabulous Four* (2024), Original Music Composer - *Sleeping Dogs* (2024), Original Music Composer - *John Farnham: Finding the Voice* (2023), Music - *Fire Front* (2022), Music - *Ascendant* (2021), Music - *Escape from Pretoria* (2020), Original Music Composer - *The Whistleblower* (2019), Original Music Composer - *Ride Like a Girl* (2019), Original Music Composer - *Between Two Lines* (2019), Music - *In Like Flynn* (2018), Original Music Composer - *Riot* (2018), Music - *Dance Academy: The Movie* (2017), Music - *A Few Less Men* (2017), Music - *A Street Cat Named Bob* (2016), Original Music Composer - *The Dressmaker* (2015), Original Music Composer - *Banished* (2015), series, Original Music Composer - *The Water Diviner* (2014), Original Music Composer - *Healing* (2014), Original Music Composer - *John Doe: Vigilante* (2014), Music - *The Railway Man* (2013), Original Music Composer - *Beyond Right & Wrong: Stories of Justice and Forgiveness* (2012), Music - *Sanctum* (2011), Original Music Composer - *Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole* (2010), Original Music Composer - *I Love You Too* (2010), Original Music Composer - *The Blue Mansion* (2009), Music - *Australia* (2008), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 58, [page](https://film.one/film/australia.md) - *Salute* (2008), Original Music Composer - *The Children of Huang Shi* (2008), Original Music Composer - *BlackJack: Ghosts* (2007), Music - *Shake Hands with the Devil* (2007), Music - *Irresistible* (2006), Music - *Aquamarine* (2006), Original Music Composer - *Peaches* (2005), Music - *Kidnapped* (2005), series, Original Music Composer - *Spicks and Specks* (2005), series, Actor - *The Five People You Meet In Heaven* (2004), Original Music Composer - *Stories of Lost Souls* (2004), Original Music Composer - *The Wannabes* (2003), Music - *The Weight of Water* (2001), Original Music Composer - *Better Than Sex* (2000), Original Music Composer - *Hanging Up* (2000), Original Music Composer - *What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?* (1999), Music - *Elizabeth* (1998), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/elizabeth.md) - *Sliding Doors* (1998), Original Music Composer, Orchestrator — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/film/sliding-doors.md) - *The Interview* (1998), Original Music Composer - *Dating the Enemy* (1996), Original Music Composer - *Shine* (1996), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/shine.md) - *Tunnel Vision* (1995), Music - *The Life of Harry Dare* (1995), Music - *Dallas Doll* (1994), Music, Original Music Composer - *Strictly Ballroom* (1992), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/strictly-ballroom.md) - *John Farnham and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Classic Jack Live!* (1989), Music Director - *Strong Hearts Have Scars*, Music ## Awards ### Academy Awards — 0 won, 2 nominated - 1999: Best Original Dramatic Score (nominated), for *Elizabeth* - 1997: Best Original Dramatic Score (nominated), for *Shine* ### BAFTA Film Awards — 2 won, 1 nominated - 1999: Best Original Music (won), for *Elizabeth* - 1997: Best Original Music (nominated), for *Shine* - 1993: Best Original Music (won), for *Strictly Ballroom* ### Golden Globes — 0 won, 1 nominated - 1996: Best Original Score (nominated), for *Shine* ### Other awards — 1 won, 5 nominated - AACTA Award for Best Original Music Score 2011: AACTA Award for Best Original Music Score (nominated), for *Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole* - AACTA Award for Best Original Music Score 2009: AACTA Award for Best Original Music Score (nominated), for *Australia* - Satellite Award for Best Original Score 2008: Satellite Award for Best Original Score (nominated), for *Australia* - AACTA Award for Best Original Music Score 2000: AACTA Award for Best Original Music Score (nominated), for *Better Than Sex* - AACTA Award for Best Original Music Score 1998: AACTA Award for Best Original Music Score (nominated), for *The Interview* - AACTA Award for Best Original Music Score 1996: AACTA Award for Best Original Music Score (won), for *Shine* *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/david-hirschfelder