George Dreyfus

George Dreyfus AM (born 22 July 1928, Wuppertal, Germany) is a contemporary classical, film and television composer in Australia. The Dreyfus family migrated to Melbourne, Australia in 1939 as the Nazi Party gained strength. George studied at Melbourne High School then Melba Conservatorium Victoria as a bassoonist. As a young boy in Melbourne he learnt piano and sang in the synagogue choir A portrait of George Dreyfus by artist Brian Dunlop was e... more

George Dreyfus AM (born 22 July 1928, Wuppertal, Germany) is a contemporary classical, film and television composer in Australia. The Dreyfus family migrated to Melbourne, Australia in 1939 as the Nazi Party gained strength. George studied at Melbourne High School then Melba Conservatorium Victoria as a bassoonist. As a young boy in Melbourne he learnt piano and sang in the synagogue choir A portrait of George Dreyfus by artist Brian Dunlop was entered in the 1995 Archibald Prize competition. Mark Dreyfus is his son. From 1948 Dreyfus played bassoon in touring orchestras accompanying opera and ballet companies before joining the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (then known as the Victorian SO) in 1953. He was bassoonist there from 1953-1954 and 1958-1964. In the 1950s he studied at the Imperial Academy of Music in Vienna. He began composing in 1956 but did not concentrate on composition until the 1960s after he left the Orchestra. He has composed numerous film and television scores,... less