Joseph Twist

Joseph Edward Twist (born 1982) is an Australian composer from Gold Coast, Queensland, who resides in the United States.

Twist composed music for other artists including Moby, Missy Higgins, Guy Sebastian, Kate Miller-Heidke, The Idea of North, Chanticleer and The Wiggles and for television shows including Bluey.

Joseph Edward Twist was born in 1982 in Queensland, and grew up on the Gold Coast.

He began learning keyboards and then piano with music teacher, Kathryn Bartlett.

At primary school, Twist attempted clarinet but his asthma restricted its development.

He continued piano to his eighth-grade exam and sang in choirs.

He began composing music in his teens.

Twist holds four tertiary degrees in music composition.

He completed his Bachelor (2003) and Master of Music at Queensland Conservatorium of Music under Gerard Brophy and Gerardo Dirie.

His doctoral thesis, ''Folio of Compositions with Critical Commentary: An exploration of musical influences and composing techniques.

Joseph Twist sang tenor for the Brisbane Chamber Choir (c. 2004), Canticum (c. 2005), National Youth Choir of Australia and Guido's Hand.

He was appointed composer-in-residence for Gondwana Voices for 2008.

Critical commentary'' was delivered to the University of Queensland, School of Music in August 2009.

He started another doctorate at Melbourne Conservatorium of Music with Elliott Gyger and Katy Abbott-Kvasnica supervising.

He has also studied at the Australian Film Television and Radio School, and New York University.

Twist has participated in several film scoring programs around the United States, such as NYU ASCAP Film Scoring Workshop in New York and the ASCAP Film and TV Workshop with Richard Bellis in Los Angeles.

In 2009 he set Judith Wright's poem, "The Old Prison", to music.

Sarah Collins of the Australian Music Centre (AMC) attended the Q150 Celebration Concert at St John's Cathedral in July of that year.

The concert included Twist's adaptation of "The Old Prison" performed by the Brisbane Chamber Choir and the Queensland Orchestra String Quartet for its world premiere.

Collins observed, "[he] sets the opening simple motif over a drone with wide temporal space between the intervals alluding to the flat, open landscape. This six-note (with anacrusis) opening motif becomes the germ upon which the work is based."

His track, "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?", was broadcast by the BBC.

Awards and recognition include:

Twist also composed for films The Jungle Book (2016), Zoolander 2, Baywatch and The Brooklyn Banker.

Twist works in a range of genres from ancient vocal music, opera, contemporary orchestral music, jazz, musical theatre and cabaret.

Twist's concert works are performed by professional ensembles around the world.

He worked in copying and orchestration on Hollywood studio films in Los Angeles with Steven Juliani Music.