The history of film music has seen a path from Vienna to Hollywood. As some might not remember, the renowned sound of Hollywood’s “Golden Age” of the 30s and 40s, as heard in movies like “Gone With The Wind”, “The Adventures of Robin Hood” and “House of Frankenstein”, was dominated mainly by Viennese composers such as Max Steiner, Erich Wolfgang Korngold or Hans Julius Salter. Their musical influence is still present in many orchestral scores by Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams and many others.

It has never been easy for young composers to get in touch with directors and producers and to have the privilege of presenting their work to a large audience in a public performance, played by a professional orchestra. This was one of the reasons to establish the Vienna Film Music Award in 2009.

The participating composers had to write a score for a 4:30 minute cue, taken from the movie “War And Piece”, which was provided for the contest by director Robert Dornhelm. In the course of the international Film Music Symposium at the Vienna Academy of Music and Performing Arts, with renown speakers such as Bruce Broughton, John Axelrod, Nicholas Dodd and David Arnold, the three best scores were selected out of 61 submissions:

1. Roman Kariolou (winner of the Vienna Film Music Award 2009)
2. Christof Unterberger (2nd place)
3. Gerrit Wunder (3rd place)

It was no coincidence that all three nominated composers including winner Roman Kariolou are extensive and long-term users of the Vienna Symphonic Library. They have been awarded with a Vienna Instruments Collection of their choice. The score of Roman Kariolou, winner of the €7,000 Vienna Film Music Award, was performed live to the clip by the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna at the Vienna Konzerthaus on October 14, 2009.