Composer Darren Wilsey uses Sibelius to fuel TV, Stage and Film Success

Composer Darren Wilsey, a grand prize winner in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest 'Electronic' category in 2001 and 2003, has had his music featured on a number of popular television shows. A Sibelius user for a number of years, Wilsey is currently using Sibelius 3.

"The context in which I use Sibelius is usually geared towards orchestral applications and/or using the program as a sequencer—especially if recording music that is more cinematic in nature," Wilsey notes.

For example, in 2003 Olympic gold medalist Brian Boitano commissioned Wilsey to compose The Persistence of Time and Cliffhangers for his appearance on the CBS special Ice Wars. "These pieces are a mixture of electronica, rock and classical," he says, "and Sibelius played a big part in the derivation of the orchestral components."

Wilsey studied piano and music composition at The Juilliard School of Music, and was a classical guitar major at The Manhattan School of Music. His music has been featured on Jerry Bruckheimer's Skin (FOX), Third Watch (NBC), Sex and the City (HBO), Miss Match (NBC) and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy (Bravo). He also scored the music for the award-winning documentary Silicon Alley Stories.

Wilsey served as producer for his debut dance/electronic CD, entitled Mixology. Over the last several years his role has shifted more from songwriter and producer to composer.

Currently, he is scoring a feature film entitled Taking Charge . He also composed the musical score for a play that was performed at University of California , Irvine in March called Mad Forest.

"Sibelius will certainly play a role in developing the orchestral elements for the movie score," adds Wilsey. "As for the play, Sibelius was my best friend throughout the process of composing the show's underscore. It truly is a remarkable program."

"As a sponsor of the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, it's especially gratifying to see a John Lennon Songwriting Contest winner and user of Sibelius notation software experience the success Darren has," says Bill Reilly, President, Sibelius USA, Inc. "We know that his creativity will continue and we will see many good projects from him."

To date, there are more than 100,000 Sibelius users worldwide, including conductor Michael Tilson-Thomas, guitarist Andy Summers, choral composer John Rutter and television composer Alf Clausen.

Notes to editors

About Sibelius

Sibelius Software Ltd. is based in London, England. Its U.S. subsidiary, Sibelius USA, Inc., is located at 1407 Oakland Blvd., Suite 103, Walnut Creek, California, 94596 and has offices in Baltimore, Cleveland, Dallas and Nashville. Sibelius products are available worldwide in more than 100 countries. For more information, contact Sibelius USA at phone (925) 280-0600; fax (925) 280-0008; on the Web at www.sibelius.com; or via e-mail at infoUSA@sibelius.com.

About the John Lennon Songwriting Contest

The John Lennon Songwriting Contest, an international songwriting contest presented by DAS Ventures Ltd. since 1997, is open to amateur and professional songwriters who submit entries in any one of 13 categories: Rock, Country, Jazz, Pop, World, Rhythm & Blues, Hip Hop, Gospel/Inspirational, Latin, Electronic, Folk, Children’s and the new 'Lyrics Only' category. Entries are judged based upon originality, melody, composition, and lyrics (when applicable). Winners are selected by songwriting members of the Songwriters Guild of America, with final decisions made by members of the JLSC Executive Committee of noted singer/songwriters.