Esin Aydingoz has a versatile skill set in the world of Music, which has helped her become the informed and inspired composer she is today. She is a classically trained pianist who enjoys working on projects with a melodic and orchestral score, but finds enjoyment in switching up styles as well. Her work ranges from orchestral pieces like A Shattered Fantasy to film and television scores on titles like Netflix’s Wednesday. For her work on the film Simchas and Sorrows, Esin was nominated for the David Raksin Award for Emerging Talent for the 4th Annual Society of Composers and Lyricist Awards.

Read on to learn more about Esin about her nomination, her work process, and a few of her most recent projects, including Simchas and Sorrows.

What has your career journey been like so far?  

It has been very fun and very fulfilling. I have many different interests within music – such as composing, arranging, songwriting, performing, and music directing and even though my main focus is definitely composing, taking projects where I have other roles in music has really benefited me in terms of networking, and continuing to grow and staying inspired! I also try to be versatile in my writing. There is something refreshing about working on completely different projects all at once. It’s a crazy musical adventure to write music for animation, horror, and a classical concert all on the same day. That’s what I love the most about my journey. Even if my workflow pretty much remains the same, what I work on is always different!

Congratulations on your nomination for the David Raksin Award for Emerging Talent for the 4th Annual Society of Composers and Lyricist Awards for your work on Simchas and Sorrows! What was your experience like working on that film?

It was very smooth! I was mostly in touch with Jennifer Smith – our wonderful music supervisor, who was the one to invite me to join the project. She was already involved with Simchas and Sorrows by the time I was brought in, so she knew exactly what the director needed. As she did a great job at sharing the creative vision with me, I got my cues approved pretty quickly. What I love about this film is that it makes me laugh and it makes me cry. I think that’s what a movie should do: make you feel things and take you on a journey! Agnes, the main character, is a striving actress – so as a musician, it was easy for me to relate to her emotional state and her willingness to continue her career even when her life is totally falling apart. Overall, I loved how relatable Simchas and Sorrows was and that made my job very easy.

What does your typical day look like when you’re working on a project?

It generally looks like a day spent in my home studio! I tend to do revisions while I keep writing – because I feel like getting closer to the director’s vision with one cue helps with all the future cues too. So, my days would consist of some emails, some meetings, some revisions, and some new music! I try not to take breaks when I write because when I’m in the mood, I don’t like taking myself out of that creative zone. I do reward myself by video chatting with my family, fiancé, and friends though! But I need to deliver first! In addition to my scoring career, I’m also working as the Assistant Chair of Berklee’s Screen Scoring Department, so my days also consist of a lot of student advising and some teaching! It’s exhilarating having both careers simultaneously.

Do you have a preference between playing live or creating in the studio?

I love both so much. Performing live has a very special kind of adrenaline rush, freedom and focused attention to it – and you get to make core memories – at least I do. However, as a hopeless perfectionist, I always feel more comfortable in my studio. The ability to tweak things and only share the best version of yourself with the world feels safer – and the fact that you can do it all in your pajamas. Though I think what makes music special is when it’s shared with people. So, my ultimate favorite thing is creating or recording in the studio – with loved ones! That’s where the magic happens – and you can still make mistakes, but be perfect for the world.

What do you look for in potential projects? Do you have a favorite kind of project to work on?

I love working on projects that have a good message and that move both children and adults. Brownie points if that film requires a melodic and orchestral score! If the script or the rough cut moves me, chances are it will move others too – and I want to be a part of that instantly. Having a team that gives you creative freedom is another consideration. In terms of genre, I truly love animation. However, it takes more time than most other genres, so I love balancing it with some easy-to-score – but super heartfelt drama! Also, I’m very fast with piano-heavy scores, so that’s always an easy yes!

What is your creative process like? How long did it take you to perfect it or is it constantly changing depending on the project?

I think my creative process depends on the cue! As a classically trained pianist, I generally start noodling on the piano and improvise until I find a motif that I’m confident in. I then start either mapping out the whole cue with one or two instruments or start arranging and orchestrating as I write. Really depends on my mood. If my piano noodling fails, I try a strings ensemble patch or other appropriate instruments or sounds that could put me in the right mood. This B plan generally does wonders. I don’t like limiting my creative process, so I’m always open to Plan C, D, or E – or Z. Thankfully, it has always worked out! If I really feel stuck, I do something else and come back to my workstation later.

Your new orchestral and choral piece “A Shattered Fantasy”, had its world premiere at the Auditorium Stravinski in Montreux, Switzerland in October 2022. Can you explain what that experience was like?

I sadly couldn’t attend my world premiere in person, but it was one of the highlights of my life for many reasons. Tale of Fantasy, the team in Switzerland, is so passionate about what they do and it shows in everything that they do. Simply being in touch with them was so inspirational. We had to delay the concert quite a bit first due to fundraising, then due to the pandemic – so when it finally happened, it was a very big moment for everyone involved, because we have all been waiting for it and dreaming about it for years! I really enjoyed getting rehearsal recordings from them and was so grateful that they tried their best to make me feel like I was there. Months after the premiere, I was in Switzerland to visit my fiancé for the New Year and the Tale of Fantasy team came together to surprise me – and we did a very long hike by the Leman Lake, where they took me to Auditorium Stravinski so that I could at least see the venue. It’s always the people that make any project special! Even though I couldn’t witness the concert itself, La Télé (a Swiss TV channel) broadcasted our concert twice on New Year’s Eve – so I at least got to enjoy that from Switzerland! It was epic to see my music be programmed with Hans Zimmer, Ramin Djawadi, and Joe Hisaishi as well as some very dear friends: Jeffrey Gaiser, Bernard Duc & Vinicius Pippa.

What advice would you give any aspiring composers?

It’s really important not to wait for opportunities to come to you but to create them yourself. If there is a director, musician, or company that you want to work with, you need to take action and find a way to make it happen. If your dream project doesn’t exist yet, you need to create it. You just need to take ownership of your life, and not wait around.

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Thanks for reading! For more information, check out Esin on IMDb and her website.