BALZ
BACHMANN
Balz Bachmann studied double bass at the SJS in Bern in the early 1990s and began his career as an instrumentalist on guitar and bass. From 1997 onward, he increasingly devoted himself to composing for film, theatre, and multimedia art forms. During this period he expanded his instrumental palette to include electronics and later the piano. His work is marked by a strong awareness of sound as a narrative medium—not as a decorative element, but as an active component of cinematic dramaturgy.
For many years he has collaborated with renowned directors including Jasmila Žbanić (Love Island), Sophie Heldman (Satte Farben vor Schwarz (2008), The Education of Jane Cumming (2026)), Sabine Lidl (Nan Goldin – I Remember Your Face, 2013; Siri Hustvedt – Dance Around the Self (2026)), Lisa Brühlmann (When We Were Sisters (2024)), Ramon and Silvan Zürcher (The Sparrow in the Chimney (2024)), Sabine Gisiger (Do It (2001), Yalom’s Cure (2015)), and Academy Award winner Xavier Koller (Someone Like Me (2012), I Fratelli Neri (2015)).
In addition to his film work, Bachmann has composed and produced music for Schauspielhaus Zürich. His works have been performed by the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich at the Tonhalle Zürich, and he has performed concerts on numerous national and international stages, including the Miles Davis Hall in Montreux and the legendary L’Olympia in Paris.
Bachmann is a composer with a wide stylistic range, moving between orchestral and minimalist sound worlds, electroacoustic music, classical form, and experimental openness. At the center of his work are melodic structures and the search for a distinct compositional language for each project. He understands music as a narrative force that opens emotional spaces and deepens the dramaturgical dimension of storytelling.
He lives and works in Zurich and is a member of the European Film Academy and the Swiss Film Academy.
Awards
His compositions have received numerous prestigious awards and nominations. Among the most notable are the prize and nominations for Best Film Score at the Locarno Film Festival (Little Girl Blue, 2003; Jeanne Homme, 2006; Bis ans Ende der Träume, 2015), the Swiss Film Award (Happy New Year, 2009; Day Is Done, 2012; Someone Like Me, 2012; Yalom’s Cure, 2015; The Sparrow in the Chimney, 2025), and the German Documentary Film Music Award (Bis ans Ende der Träume, 2018; Willkommen in der Schweiz, 2018).
In 2024, Bachmann was selected as one of twelve composers worldwide for the prestigious “Spot the Composer”programme at the Cannes Film Festival, where his work was presented.
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FULL FILMOGRAPHY
2025 Geneva, Swiss Film Awards Quarz,
Nomination Best Filmmusic for “The Sparrow In The Chimney”
2024 Entrevues Film Festival, Achievement in Music & Sound,
Nomination for “The Sparrow In The Chimney”
2024 77th Festival de Cannes
Selected for “Spot The Composer”
2018 German Documentary Filmmusic Price, at Doc Fest München
Nomination Best Filmmusic with «Willkommen in der Schweiz»
2018 German Documentary Filmmusic Price, at Doc Fest München,
Nomination Best Filmmusic with «Bis ans Ende der Träume»
2017 Locarno International Filmfestival, Fondation Suisa,
Winner Best Filmmusic, for «Bis ans Ende der Träume»
2015 Swiss Film Awards Quarz,
Nomination Best Filmmusic for «Yalom’s Cure»
2012 Swiss Film Awards Quarz,
Winner Best Filmmusic for «Day is Done»
2012 Swiss Film Awards Quarz,
Nomination Best Filmmusic for «Someone Like Me»
2010 Swiss Film Award Quarz,
Nomination Bests Filmmusic for «Giulias Verschwinden»
2008 Swiss Film Awards Quarz,
Nomination Best Filmmusic for «Happy New Year»
2006 Musique & Cinema Auxxere
Shortlisted with «Jeune Homme»
2006 Locarno International Filmfestival, Fondation Suisa,
Winner Best Filmmusic, for «Jeune Homme»
2003 Locarno International Filmfestival, Fondation Suisa,
Winner Best Filmmusic, for «Little Girl Blue»
REPRESENTATION Annette Gentz Art Management Berlin
www.annettegentz.com
ag@annettegentz.com
REPRESENTATION SWITZERLANDMyMusicRights GmbH – Yann Michelutti, Geneva
www.mymusicrights.com
yann@mymusicrights.ch