Medhat Hanbali

Medhat Hanbali is a composer who specializes in music for media. His expansive palette ranges from orchestral to jazz and led him to score a multitude of critically acclaimed projects across the globe such as Inside Lehman Brothers (BBC), The World According to Amazon (CBC/France 5), Gala des Olivier (ICI Tele), Mouvement Deluxe (Teletoon) and Si On S’aimait Encore (TVA). He started training in classical piano at age 4 and discovered his passion for storytelling through music with movie soundtracks. It was this revelation that sparked his determination to pursue a career in film scoring. His thirst for knowledge led him to further studies in pop and jazz composition at Marie-Victorin College, followed by studies in digital music at the University of Montreal and a masters degree in film scoring at Berklee. Medhat draws inspiration from the rich legacies of French and American composers, such as Michel Legrand, Bruno Coulais, Bernard Herrmann, Alan Menken, and Randy Newman. These musical giants have left an indelible imprint on his work, infusing his compositions with a unique blend of influences. In 2019, he was awarded the 1st prize for Best Animated Score at the SOCAN Foundation awards, out of 350 submissions. In 2023, he was one of the 12 international composers selected at the VIFF Amp program to record with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra part of the Vancouver International Film Festival. That same year, his score for "Queen Rising" was nominated for Best TV Score at the Canadian Screen Music Awards. In 2024, while continuing his career composing for media, Medhat embarked on a new adventure as a music director and conductor of the original French production of the Broadway show Tootsie. Beyond his composing career, Medhat actively collaborates with artists in the pop world as an arranger and producer such as Éric Bernier (The Voice), Bobby Bazini, Genevieve Leclerc (Les Miserables) and Robert Marien (Notre-Dame de Paris).