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There is no greater professional accolade than being recognised by your peers, and the Audient team is raising a glass to composer Stephen Gallagher, who has recently won an EMMY® Award for Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for a Live Action Program.
The award, shared with co-composer David Long, recognises their stunning score for Secrets At Red Rocks. While Stephen’s Wellington studio is no stranger to high-end projects, this series marked a significant milestone: it was the first production where the Audient ORIA was used throughout the entire process—from the first recorded note to the final mix.
“Thrilled and Surprised” – Stephen Gallagher
Reflecting on the win, Stephen was quick to share the credit. “I was absolutely surprised and completely thrilled to have won an Emmy for the score to Secrets At Red Rocks alongside my wonderful co-composer David Long,” he says.
While the talent is undoubtedly at the forefront, Stephen credits his technical environment for providing the “headspace” necessary to achieve award-winning results.
Confidence in the Chair
For a composer, the monitoring environment is the lens through which every creative decision is viewed. Stephen found that the ORIA provided a level of consistency that allowed him to trust his ears implicitly.
“The ORIA has become a key part of my set-up. I love its simplicity!” Stephen explains. “I wrote, recorded and mixed all my material for Secrets At Red Rocks using it with confidence at all times in the monitoring environment that it provided.”
Staying in the Flow
Perhaps the highest praise a piece of gear can receive from a world-class composer is that it becomes “invisible” during the creative process. When the red light is on and the ideas are flowing, technical friction is the enemy.
“When I’m focused in the moment of finding my way with scoring a scene, chasing ideas and making discoveries in the music, I don’t want to be pulled out of that headspace by my equipment,” says Stephen. “The ORIA does what the best studio tools often do: it handles all the technical complexity quietly in the background allowing me to just concentrate on composing. I am deeply grateful for having great tools!”
A Busy Year Ahead
The EMMY® win is just the beginning of a prolific season for Stephen. His upcoming slate includes a new TV series, the second season of Secrets At Red Rocks and a new documentary film score. He will also be stepping into the music editor’s chair for three upcoming feature films.
Through it all, the award-winning interface remains a permanent fixture. “The ORIA will be with me through all of these projects of course!”
Congratulations, Stephen – we can’t wait to hear what you create next.
