Amanda Lee Falkenberg, an internationally acclaimed composer and pianist born in Australia, embarked on her musical journey as a ballet accompanist, notably with the Australian Ballet company in 2000. Her extensive repertoire of ballet compositions led to her acclaimed Moving With Music album series.
In 2003, Falkenberg's talent garnered recognition with the commissioning and premiere of her inaugural full-length orchestral ballet, Edge of the World, performed by the prestigious International Barossa Music Festival Orchestra alongside Leigh Warren and Dancers, earning accolades from the national press.
Driven by her passion for visual storytelling, Falkenberg seamlessly transitioned into composing for diverse mediums, crafting evocative scores for film, TV, stage plays, documentaries, and feature films. Noteworthy among her works is the cinematic soundtrack for the adaptation of Wilfred Thesiger’s Arabian Sands.
In 2017, Falkenberg unveiled her orchestral suite Sea Trilogy at the London Film Music Orchestra's Gala Concert, followed by the completion of her Arabian-inspired concerto, Crossing of the Crescent Moon. These successes paved the way for her ambitious project, THE MOONS SYMPHONY.
Premiering in 2022 under the baton of Marin Alsop with a recording with the London Symphony Orchestra and London Voices directed by Ben Parry, THE MOONS SYMPHONY captivated audiences and critics alike.
Choir & Organ Magazine lauded "THE MOONS SYMPHONY" as a groundbreaking choral symphony, praising Falkenberg's expertise in film composition and the unparalleled quality of the performance. Described by The Beauty of Space Art Authors Jon Ramer and Ron Miller as;
"…one of the most extraordinary achievements in space-inspired music, and perhaps the first to be accomplished in direct collaboration with astronomers and scientists”
An adaptation of The work, The Moons Symphonic Suite was the focus of the prestigious Breaking Barriers Festival at Ravinia in 2024. The festival, renowned for celebrating trailblazing women in the arts, showcased Amanda’s innovative fusion of music and science. Her groundbreaking symphony, carefully researched through consultations with leading experts from NASA/JPL, reflects her commitment to pushing the boundaries of classical music and celebrating space exploration. This recognition at Ravinia, which culminated in a thrilling performance by the CSO, marked a significant milestone in her journey as a composer and advocate for STEAM education.
In recent years, Falkenberg expanded her creative universe with the launch of LUNAR, a multi-sensory online education program inspired by the scientific collaborations behind THE MOONS SYMPHONY. Designed for homeschool communities, the next space-age generation, and lifelong learners seeking deeper engagement than traditional education provides, LUNAR blends planetary science, orchestral music, poetry, and visual art into a transformative learning journey across the outer solar system. The program has been praised as visionary, deeply immersive, and unlike anything in STEAM education. Participants highlight its cinematic experience, emotional depth, and remarkable ability to inspire curiosity. Educators and scientists note that LUNAR sets a new benchmark for interdisciplinary learning by uniting rigorous science with artistic expression in a way that is both accessible and profoundly moving.
Falkenberg has shared her artistic vision and scientific inspiration with audiences worldwide, including engagements with esteemed institutions such as NASA/JPL, Caltech, The Planetary Society, Imperial College London, the Science Museum London, Dubai Expo, and the Europlanet Science Congress.
Falkenberg's outstanding earlier works have garnered numerous nominations and awards in esteemed international competitions, including the Great American Song Contest, Marvin Hamlisch Emerging Film Composer Contest, International Composition Competition in Italy, Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMA), and the Los Angeles Music Awards.
