Drew Crawford

Associate Professor of Composition, Head of Music, University of Southampton

Southampton, England, United Kingdom

About

I make music for the head, heart, soul and hips. Specialties: Music composition, music production, creative direction

Experience

  • University of Southampton (8 yrs 10 mos)
    • Head of Music
      Jan 2026 - Present · 6 mos

    • Associate Professor in Music
      Mar 2022 - Present · 4 yrs 4 mos

    • Director of Programmes
      Aug 2023 - Jan 2026 · 2 yrs 6 mos

  • Freelance Composer, Producer & Sound Designer (29 yrs 6 mos)
    • Composer/Producer
      May 2016 - Present · 10 yrs 2 mos

    • Composer/Producer
      1997 - May 2016 · 19 yrs 5 mos

      I'm a Sydney-based composer, producer, songwriter, arranger & educator. My work spans TV, film, opera, theatre, dance, pop, cabaret, installation & sound design, the concert hall & digital platforms. Known for my intelligent & accessible style, I'm a gifted melody writer but feel equally at home creating music more about texture, colour & mood; as comfortable working in my electronic studio as with a full symphony orchestra, guitar-based band, jazz ensemble, or musicians from a range of non-Western traditions. I'm a keen collaborator, sensitive to the psychological, emotional & narrative demands of whatever context I'm working in, whether that be contemporary songwriting/production for pop duo MA, or composing my epic, true-crime operatic collaboration Eugene & Roie (based on the Eugene Goossens scandal of 1956); working with contemporary choreographers, writing intimate solo piano music, or composing the theme for a new TV series. My concert music has been performed across Australasia, Europe & the Americas; I've also composed & produced scores for some of Australia's top performing arts presenters, including Sydney Festival, Sydney Opera House Trust, Opera Australia, ABC Classic FM, Melbourne Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company, Company B & Bell Shakespeare Co; as well as ABC1 & SBS. Lounge Music, a self-curated night of my music, was commissioned by the SOH Studio in 2002; in 2008 I won the ABC Classic FM Orpheus Remix Award for my 4-minute radio opera Black Orpheus. Drew currently teaches Composition & Music Production at the Australian Institute of Music in Surry Hills, involved in course design as well as delivery at both Undergraduate and Graduate levels. He studied composition with Anne Boyd, Ross Edwards and Peter Sculthorpe, graduating from Sydney University with First Class Honours & the University Medal for Music in 1995, and completed his PhD in composition in 2005 under the supervision of Ross Edwards. http://www.drewcrawford.com.au

  • Teaching Fellow at City, University of London
    Sep 2016 - Jul 2018 · 1 yr 11 mos

  • Lecturer/tutor at Australian Institute of Music
    Mar 2005 - May 2016 · 11 yrs 3 mos

    Composition and Music Production course design and delivery; undergraduate portfolio and postgraduate research thesis/creative portfolio supervision.

  • Composer/producer at MA
    2005 - Aug 2013 · 8 yrs 8 mos

    Intelligent, infectious pop music