Composer, Arranger, Musician
Michelle Lorimer
Scoring for Screen
Concert/Stage
about me
Music is an expression of the heart, a reflection of all that is listened to & felt.
Michelle Lorimer is a composer
for visual media and concert stage.
She has worked as assistant composer to Bruce Fowler, composing cues for an episode of CBC's The Nature of Things ("Bug Sex, It's Complicated"), now streaming on CBC GEM & nominated for a CSA in 2024. Her music is featured in the short doc Farm-Acist, which screened at the Toronto Short Film Festival (March 2023), and in Loud & Here, part of Hot Docs 2023 Citizen Minutes series, directed & produced by Toronto filmmaker Josiane Blanc & streaming on CBC Gem. She's also worked with Toronto filmmaker Geordie Sabbagh, scoring his feature length documentary,When I Go Outside, on Kurdish-Syrian visual artist Bistyek, and an IPF trailer on Canadian-Russian cyber clerk, Igor Gouzenko, called Out in the Cold. Her latest score is for the feature length documentary,Words Left Unspoken, directed by Josiane Blanc & produced by Rayne Zukerman and screening at the ReelWorld Film Festival in October 2024. Upcoming composing projects include a short documentary for Toronto filmmaker Chrisann Hessing, and a short animation as part of the Women in Animation ACE 4 program.
(photo by wendydphoto@gmail.com)
In addition to composing for screen, Michelle enjoys composing for live performance. Commuting, her piece for violin & flute was commissioned by The Sonority Sisters (a duo comprised of TSO principal flutist Kelly Zimba Lukić and associate concertmaster Clare Semes), as part of a relay piece featuring six Toronto composers, funded by the New World Symphony. Her pieces for larger and smaller ensemble have been premiered by the Peterborough Concert Band, under the direction of Saman Shahi; the Allegra Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Janna Sailor; Duo Holz (percussionist Mike Murphy and violinist Aysel Taghi-Zada); and the Charis Collective (cellist Alexandra Fol & violist Emily Hiemstra). In fall 2024, her woodwind quintet will be premiered by the NU Quintet in New York City. Her pieces for solo cello & a cappella choir have also been workshopped at the American String Teachers National Conference (ASTA) and read by the Pax Christi Chorale & the VIVA Singers Toronto choir. And in November 2024, a movement from her Suite for Grief will be read by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, as part of their annual Explore the Score program for emerging composers.
The best of both worlds is when she can bring live recording into her media scoring. As part of the Alliance for Women Film Composer's Live Recording Initiative, she got to compose & record a piece for string orchestra with the FAMES orchestra in Macedonia, under the mentorship of American film composer Ariel Marx (Candy, A Small Light, Sanctuary). In addition, she's enjoyed mentorship through the SCGC mentorship program and participation in SOCAN's Lab for Emerging Screen Composers.
Michelle studied Music Composition at Humber College, where she was awarded the Dean's Award for Music Composition. Her teachers include noted bassist and recording engineer Justin Gray, composer Kevin Wilks Lau, and orchestrator Becca Pellett. She holds an ARCT in piano performance and has enjoyed performing with local ensembles, including the Ontario Pops Orchestra. Before switching careers to follow her passion for composing music, she worked as a music director and as an English and French teacher for the York Region School Board.
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She lives in the Etobicoke neighbourhood of Toronto with her husband, two kids, and two cats. In her spare time, she likes to sing with friends at L'Arche Daybreak & teach music to young people & her children.​
credits
Bug Sex: It's Complicated
(The Nature of Things)
streaming on CBC GEM, March 2023.
5 Cues from my work as assistant composer to Bruce Fowler
(directed & produced by Andrew Gregg & Deborah Parks)
When I Go Outside
Feature-length Documentary
directed by Geordie Sabbagh
streaming on Amazon Prime UK & screened at the
Art of Brooklyn Film Festival, June 2023
Short Documentary
directed by Josiane Blanc
Citizen Minutes Series II. Hot Docs 2023.
Now streaming on CBC GEM
Words Left Unspoken
Feature-length Documentary on Joze Piranian
directed by Josiane Blanc & produced by Rayne Zuckerman (2023)
screening at the ReelWorld Film Festival, October 2024
The Farm-Acist
Short Documentary
directed by Claire Lloyd & Allie Fripps
Premiered at the Toronto Short Film Festival, March 2023
Out in the Cold
IPF Trailer, produced & directed by George Sabbagh.
All I Need
short directed by Denise Peda/produced by Alison Rup (2024)
Bridgerton Rescored
Spitfire Scoring Competition 2022
my entry in this fun competition
Remembrance
silent short directed by Humber student Denise Peda
Paper Walls
silent short directed by Humber student Anastasiia Klymova
testimonials
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Michelle has an incredible sensibility to her compositions, which are always harmonically rich and rhythmically engaging. Her intricate melodies are filled with nuance, and she has a very strong command of narrativity in her writing. She's an absolute rising star!
Ariel Marx, composer of A Small Light, Candy, Sanctuary
Michelle’s music comes from a deep place of compassion. She connected immediately with the subject of our film, Jozé Piranian. Through music she was able to help weave together his Lebanese and Canadian identities. Her music was a rollercoaster of emotion that helped anchor the narrative. A truly wonderful collaborator.
Rayne Zukerman, Zazie Films Inc. Producer of Paris Paris & Words Left Unspoken
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Michelle is a joy to work with. She's not only a talented composer, but she takes the time to dig into the film, its perspectives, and themes. To understand the story we were telling so the music could not only serve the story but make it even stronger. A wonderful collaborator.
Geordie Sabbagh, director & producer, When I Go Outside
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Michelle was absolutely fantastic to work with! She was fast and responsive to feedback, very accommodating and knowledgeable, and always very kind. Her score was exactly what we needed and really brought the project to life. I can't recommend working with her enough.
Claire Lloyd, director Farm-acist
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Michelle was a pleasure to work with as a composer on Remembrance.
She was incredibly prompt with her deadlines and with her communications. She was always ahead of schedule which allowed me plenty of time to review the work and give feedback. Michelle was very accommodating to my specific vision of the project and she was always open to making changes. She listened respectfully to my feedback and skillfully incorporated it into her work. Her final composition was lovely and truly elevated my project. I'd be very happy to work with her again.
Denise Peda, director, Remembrance