Edwin Wendler

Edwin Wendler
Composer Edwin Wendler in 2014
Background information
Born	(1975-04-11)April 11, 1975
Occupation(s)	Composer, Arranger

Edwin Wendler (born 11 April 1975) is an Austrian composer working in Los Angeles, California.

Born into a musical family (Wendler's father, Prof. Dr. Anton Wendler, worked as a tenor and assistant director at the Vienna State Opera while his mother had a brief career as an operatic soprano before switching careers to work for the United Nations), Wendler attended the Vienna Choir Boys from 1985 until 1989, participating in four tours around the globe, singing in more than 500 concerts and opera performances, sharing stages with José Carreras, Agnes Baltsa, and Alfredo Kraus, and working with conductors such as Colin Davis and Horst Stein. After his voice changed, Wendler attended the , from which he graduated with honors, in 1993.

Wendler's passion for film music started at around the age of 10, and by the time he graduated from high school, his collection of soundtrack CD's exceeded 1500. From 1996 until 1998, Wendler wrote, directed, and scored several award-winning short films for the Austrian independent film company, Magellan-Film. His work was showcased at several independent, local and international film festivals, including the .

Wendler earned certificates in film scoring and screenwriting from UCLA Extension in 1999. His first concert commission arrived that same year from the University of Ottawa and its choral director, Laurence Ewashko. The resulting piece, Consolatio, for choir and symphony orchestra, received a standing ovation at its premiere at St. Joseph's Church, Ottawa, and was subsequently broadcast on local Canadian television stations. In 2004, the piece was performed at Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, by the and five combined choirs from the area. Philip Mackenzie conducted.