David Hirschfelder

As a keyboardist, Hirschfelder has been a member of various groups including the jazz fusion band Pyramid, rock band Peter Cupples Band (1980), pop rockers Little River Band (1983–1986), Blowout, Dragon (1987, 1989), adult contemporary singer John Farnham's backing band (1986–1992), and jazz fusion supergroup CAB.{{cite news|url=http://news.allaboutjazz.com/cab-with-bunny-brunel-and-tony-macalpine-live-at-the-baked-potato.php|title="C.A.B." With Bunny Brunel And Tony MacAlpine Live At The Baked Potato | publisher=All About Jazz|date=29 May 2014|access-date=4 September 2014}}

In 1980 Hirschfelder joined the Peter Cupples Band, Cupples had just left his soul-pop group, Stylus, and formed the rock group with Hirschfelder on keyboards, Virgil Donati on drums, Ross Ingliss on guitar and Robert Little on bass guitar. In October 1981 Peter Cupples Band released his debut album, Fear of Thunder. In 1982 Hirschfelder provided piano on Little River Band's album, Greatest Hits. Their next album, The Net had Hirschfelder on keyboards and as co-producer, with the band's line-up including Farnham on lead vocals, Beeb Birtles on guitars and vocals, Graeham Goble on guitars and vocals, Stephen Housden on guitar and backing vocals, Wayne Nelson on bass guitar and vocals, and Derek Pellicci on drums and percussion. He joined the group in September 1983, as they toured in the United States. Their 1984 album, Playing to Win saw Hirschfelder supplying guitar, piano, keyboards, synthesiser, programming and vocals. He also co-wrote the tracks, "When Cathedrals Were White", "Blind Eyes" and "Playing to Win". The latter two were issued as singles, with "Playing to Win" reaching the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1985 and Top 100 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart. In mid-1986 the group issued No Reins which had Hirschfelder on piano, keyboards and co-writing "Paper Paradise".

After No Reins had been recorded, Hirschfelder left Little River Band to return to Australia and joined Farnham's backing band. In April–June 1986 Farnham recorded his album, Whispering Jack with Hirschfelder on keyboards, drum programs and co-writing "Going, Going, Gone". For touring in support of the album Farnham and Hirschfelder were joined on the Jack's Back Tour by Angus Burchill (or Burchall) on drums, Brett Garsed on lead guitar, and Greg Macainsh on bass guitar (Skyhooks). At that time, Jack's Back Tour was the highest-grossing tour by an Australian act. Hirschfelder remained with Farnham for the studio albums, Age of Reason (July 1988) and Chain Reaction (September 1990). Between these two albums he released his own, Welcome to the Nightclub of My Mind in 1989. In 1992 Hirschfelder left Farnham's backing band to concentrate on his score work for television and feature films. In 1999 he collaborated with David Hobson for the song cycle Inside This Room based on writings by Joseph Campbell and Paulo Coelho.{{IMDb title|0366618|Inside This Room|(2002)}}

Hirschfelder's first score work was for the TV series, Skirts and Shadows of the Heart (both in 1990); Ratbag Hero followed in 1991.

He has composed scores for films including Strictly Ballroom (1992), Shine (1996), Sliding Doors (1998), Elizabeth (1998), Hanging Up (2000), Peaches (2004), Australia (2008), and Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010).

He has worked numerous times with directors Ian Gilmour, Craig Monahan, Ann Turner, Roger Spottiswoode and Baz Luhrmann.

In 1999, the score for Elizabeth (composed for a 90-piece orchestra and a 40-piece choir) was nominated for an Oscar, and was honoured with a BAFTA award and an APRA award for Best Original Score. He also won the Best Score BAFTA in 1993 for Strictly Ballroom.

He composed for the opening ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

• 1997 Academy Award for Best Original Dramatic Score nomination for Shine
• 1999 Academy Award for Best Original Dramatic Score nomination for Elizabeth

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987.

{{awards table}}

! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

|-

| 1993

| Strictly Ballroom

|rowspan="5" | Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album

| {{nom}}

|rowspan="5" | ARIA Award previous winners. {{cite web|url=http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history/award/best-original-soundtrack-cast-show-album|title=History Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album |publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA)|access-date=12 July 2022}}

|-

|rowspan="2" | 1999

| Elizabeth

| {{won}}

|-

| The Interview

| {{nom}}

|-

| 2000

| What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?

| {{nom}}

|-

| 2001

| Better Than Sex

| {{nom}}

|-

{{end}}

The APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually.

{{awards table}}

! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

|-

| 1998

| Shine

| Best Film Score

| {{won}}

| {{cite web | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140414234020/http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/APRAAwards/ScreenAwards/History/Winnerspriorto2002.aspx | url = http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/APRAAwards/ScreenAwards/History/Winnerspriorto2002.aspx | title = Winners Prior to 2002 | publisher = Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS) | archive-date = 14 April 2014 | access-date = 4 August 2018 }}

|-

| 1999

| Elizabeth

| Best Film Score

| {{won}}

| {{cite web | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090918020811/http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/APRAAwards/MusicAwards/History/1999Winners.aspx | url = http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/APRAAwards/MusicAwards/History/1999Winners.aspx | title = 1999 Winners - APRA Music Awards | publisher = Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS) | archive-date = 18 September 2009 | access-date = 3 March 2018 }}

|-

| 2008

| Children of the Silk Road

| Best Film Score

| {{won}}

| {{cite web|url=http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/APRAAwards/ScreenAwards/History/2008Winners.aspx |title=2008 Winners – Screen Music Awards |publisher=Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) |access-date=29 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110308013044/http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/APRAAwards/ScreenAwards/History/2008Winners.aspx |archive-date=8 March 2011|url-status=dead}}

|-

{{end}}

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite web|url=http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/l/littleriverband.html |publisher=Australian Rock Database. Passagen (Magnus Holmgren) |title=Little River Band |last1=Holmgren |first1=Magnus |access-date=10 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927020637/http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/l/littleriverband.html |archive-date=27 September 2012|url-status=usurped}}

{{cite web|first=Ian|last=McFarlane|author-link=Ian McFarlane|url=http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid%3D421|title=Stylus|access-date=2 July 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040901025641/http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=421|archive-date=September 1, 2004}}

{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=mn0000216222|tab=credits|title=David Hirschfelder}}

{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000231959|tab=credits|title=The Net – Little River Band}}

McFarlane, {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040615185835/http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=1021 |date=June 15, 2004 |title='Little River Band' entry }}. Archived from [http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=1021 the original] on 15 June 2004. Retrieved 10 April 2012.

{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000232644|tab=credits|title=Playing to Win – Little River Band}}

{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=little river band|chart=all}}|title=Little River Band – Chart History ("Playing to Win")|magazine=Billboard|access-date=10 April 2012}}

{{Cite book|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|last1=Kent|first1=David|author-link1=David Kent (historian)|publisher=Australian Chart Book Ltd|location=St Ives, NSW|year=1993|isbn=0-64611-917-6}} Note: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1974 until Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) created their own charts in mid-1988. In 1992, Kent back calculated chart positions for 1970–1974.

{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000020556|tab=credits|title=No Reins – Little River Band}}

{{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000189831|tab=credits|title=Whispering Jack – John Farnham}}

McFarlane, {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040829235034/http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=583 |date=August 29, 2004 |title='John Farnham' entry }}. Archived from [http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=583 the original] on 29 August 2004. Retrieved 10 April 2012.

{{cite web|url=http://www.milesago.com/Artists/Farnham.htm|title=John Farnham|last=Kimball|first=Duncan|publisher=Milesago: Australasian Music and Popular Culture 1964–1975. Ice Productions|year=2002|access-date=10 April 2012}}

{{cite web|url=http://wwwmcc.murdoch.edu.au/ReadingRoom/film/dbase/2006/peaches2.doc|title=Peaches|publisher=School of Media Communication and Culture. Murdoch University|format=DOC|year=2006|access-date=10 April 2012}}

}}

{{Commons}}

• {{Official website|https://www.davidhirschfelder.com/}}
• {{IMDb name|0386595|David Hirschfelder}}

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Category:1960 births

Category:APRA Award winners

Category:ARIA Award winners

Category:Australian film score composers

Category:Best Original Music BAFTA Award winners

Category:Best Original Song Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners

Category:Little River Band members

Category:Living people

Category:Australian male film score composers

Category:Entertainers from Ballarat

Category:La-La Land Records artists