Bio
Photo by Maria Jernov
AJ Churchill is a Brazilian-American composer based in Los Angeles. He has scored films, documentaries, ads, podcasts, concert music, and a museum exhibit.
A graduate of the Royal College of Music’s composition masters program, he has collaborated with many up-and-coming filmmakers and animators at the London Film School, Goldsmiths: University of London, Central St. Martins: University of the Arts, and NYU Tisch School of the Arts. His tracks are published by EMI Production Music, Pond5, and his own publishing company Our Trees Music.
His most recent large-scale projects include original scores for the feature film The Aliens, directed by Byron Yee, and Our Power, directed by Peter Yacono, an Australian documentary. The Aliens was nominated for Best Original Score at the 2017 Romford International Film Festival. He also composed additional music for Timo Chen's Emmy-nominated score to City Rising.
AJ’s music blends organic timbres with electronic sounds and features luscious textures and thick harmonies. Strongly influenced by Brazilian music of different styles, his rhythms are dynamic, powerful, and fun.
Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, AJ studied at Oberlin College and Conservatory in Ohio, where he completed a double major in economics and music, graduating with Honors. He has been taught by film composers Howard Davidson and Enrica Sciandrone, as well as composer Lewis Nielson. His studies at the RCM were generously supported by the Humphrey Searle Scholarship.
When he isn't writing music, AJ enjoys strategy games, watching movies, rock climbing, and biking.
A graduate of the Royal College of Music’s composition masters program, he has collaborated with many up-and-coming filmmakers and animators at the London Film School, Goldsmiths: University of London, Central St. Martins: University of the Arts, and NYU Tisch School of the Arts. His tracks are published by EMI Production Music, Pond5, and his own publishing company Our Trees Music.
His most recent large-scale projects include original scores for the feature film The Aliens, directed by Byron Yee, and Our Power, directed by Peter Yacono, an Australian documentary. The Aliens was nominated for Best Original Score at the 2017 Romford International Film Festival. He also composed additional music for Timo Chen's Emmy-nominated score to City Rising.
AJ’s music blends organic timbres with electronic sounds and features luscious textures and thick harmonies. Strongly influenced by Brazilian music of different styles, his rhythms are dynamic, powerful, and fun.
Born and raised in São Paulo, Brazil, AJ studied at Oberlin College and Conservatory in Ohio, where he completed a double major in economics and music, graduating with Honors. He has been taught by film composers Howard Davidson and Enrica Sciandrone, as well as composer Lewis Nielson. His studies at the RCM were generously supported by the Humphrey Searle Scholarship.
When he isn't writing music, AJ enjoys strategy games, watching movies, rock climbing, and biking.
At the premiere of The Aliens in Roswell, New Mexico
Projects
- Scoring Our Power, a feature-length documentary directed by Peter Yacono (2018 upcoming)
- Scoring unannounced feature comedy film (2018 upcoming)
- Scoring unannounced short film by Gaston Stabiszewski (2018 upcoming)
- Scored Onizuka, directed by Manuel Marx, premiering at Cannes Short Film Festival (2018 upcoming)
- Composed music for 'Dogs', a musical theater production by Tom Messner (2018 upcoming)
- Wrote a podcast theme for Roll Credits, a British series (2017)
- Scored and sound-designed for Ditmas Park, a short sci-fi comedy by Chi Laughlin (2017)
- Assistant-composed for public TV station KCET's documentary on gentrification with Emmy-nominated composer Timo Chen (2017)
- Assistant-composed cue for unannounced Vietnamese film scored by Timo Chen (2017)
- Scored The Aliens, a feature-length narrative film directed by Byron Yee (2017)
- Scored a New York Film Academy thesis film by Myeongjin Park (2017)
- Scored Into the Light, short animated thesis film by Kimberley Collings (2017)
- Wrote a hymn for The Church Before the Seat of Christ (2017)
- Scored a podcast intro theme for the Journal of the American Medical Association (2016)
- Scored Nicholas Prufer's upcoming animation thesis, "Masks" (2016)
- Scored a scene from Sarah Moses's short film "Early Bird" (2016)
- Sound design and music work for Tobuscus (Toby Turner), YouTuber w/ over 15 million subscribers (2016)
- Scored Tara Tchablakian's comedy short "Wrong Way Forward" (2016)
- Composed original theme and provided music for "One-Eighty" podcast, produced by Bear McBride (2015)
- Scored El Toro High School's theater production of The Invisible Man, directed by Dan Blackley (2015)
- Scored Chinese documentary short "Through the Dark Side," directed by Cici (2015)
- Scored "Jamboree!," Taiwanese short film (2015)
- Co-scored "Last Words" with Alessandro Apolloni for Chinese short animated film by Georgia Wen (2015)
- Composed Zhatt's Theme for his gaming YouTube channel's 'Nonlinear Podcast.'
- Scored Instagram video "Dubai flow-motion" by Rob Whitworth for the city of Dubai.
- Scored Alexander King's short animated film "Philip Darius: Driving Duty", sequel to the previous Philip Darius film (2014)
- Scored Sophie Knowles's animated film "Box" (2014)
- Scored Zimeng Liu's animated film "Mr. Unready" (2014)
- Sound design for Andrea Gulli's animated film "Sounds Like" (2014)
- Sound design for Russel Liu's short animated film "Playmate" (2014)
- Sound design for Ria Dastidar's animated masters film, "Puppets Give Bad Advice" (2014)
- Scored Alexander King's short animated film "Philip Darius: A Complaint from Head Office" (2014)
- Scored Javid Zaidov's short film "The Magical TV" produced at the London Film School (2014)
- Scored Tara Tchablakian's short film "SMACK!" produced at the London Film School (2013)
- Composed brass quintet commissioned by tubist Mark Tillinger (2013)
- Scored Nicholas Prufer's short animated film (2013)
- Scored Olive Nwosu's short fictional film "Bunny." (2013) Premiered at the London City Film Festival 2013.
- Scored Lola Lorber's short documentary/mockumentary "Love of the Lanes" (2013)
- Score to new museum exhibit at Colonial Michilimackinac, run by Mackinac State Historic Parks (2013)
- Scored NYU Tisch thesis film “Frankincense and Myrrh," directed by Chi Laughlin (2012)
- Composed “Ready the Lance," a piece for brass quintet commissioned by Mark Tillinger, tubist (2012)
- Scored commercial for “WealthLift," internet brokerage firm based in Berlin, Germany (2011)
- Scored commercial for “Moose Power," Canadian solar power firm (2011)
- Scored short film “Heartbreaker" (2011)
- Scored documentary short film “This is My Family" (2011)
- Scored documentary short film “Jesus Freak,” submitted to film festivals (2010)
- Scored commercial for “North on Sixty,” Canadian sustainable building company (2010)
Honors
- Humphrey Searle Scholar (2014-2016) - Endowed scholarship named in memory of the English composer.
- Winner of Royal College of Music Film Orchestra Composition Competition (October, 2014) for his composition "Letter from the Front."
- Best Original Score Nomination for The Aliens at the Romford Int'l Film Festival.