You may not know his name, but you’ve almost certainly felt his music – legendary Australian composer Antony Partos is bringing his signature cinematic sound to the skies of Vivid Sydney.
From the Animal Kingdom and The Artful Dodger to the Oscars red carpet for internationally celebrated film work, Antony’s haunting orchestral-electronic score powers Vivid Sydney Drone Show: Star-Bound.
The pulse of 1,000 drones rising above Cockle Bay Wharf, transforms the night into a living, breathing soundtrack, and Antony states Vivid offers a rare chance to compose not just for a screen, but for an entire harbour.
“This is storytelling on a completely different scale. It is ultimately a very cinematic experience, but with the sky as opposed to a screen as one’s canvas,’ he says.
From 22 May, the free show will unfold nightly (Sunday–Wednesday) at 7:30pm and 9:30pm, with drones morphing into swirling galaxies, crashing waves, Fibonacci spirals and luminous nebulas.
The track emerges from the depths and utilises the sonic laws of the harmonic series as the drones rise from the water.
Drawing inspiration from the nature of mathematics; the score is built around the rhythmic articulations of the Fibonacci sequence – the building blocks of all life.
Set to a pulse of 60 beats per minute, mirroring the rhythm that governs our daily lives, Partos gradually fractures the tempo through layered cross-rhythms before accelerating into a supernova-like rebirth.
Antony’s rise began with the critically-acclaimed Animal Kingdom, launching a long-standing collaboration with director David Michôd and cementing his reputation for crafting “dark, beautiful and moody” sonic worlds.
“That’s my happy place,” he says. “Melancholia, tension, satire, requiems – there’s a deep beauty in exploring the darker corners of human emotion.”
His unmistakable style now spans global hits, and his creative DNA draws from legendary pairings like Bernard Herrmann and Alfred Hitchcock, where music and storytelling become one.
“I’m a great admirer of composers whose scores are intrinsically linked to films and soundtracks that form part of the universal experience and memory of the film,” he adds.
In 2010, Antony co-founded Sonar Music, which is one of Australia’s most influential music and sound studios, with credits spanning international blockbuster films and TV Series.
Recent Sonar credits include:
- Kangaroo, Australia’s 2025 highest-grossing film – (Matteo Zingales & Josie Mann)
- Kill Jackie starring Catherine Zeta-Jones – (Matteo Zingales) – out this year
- Christy starring Sydney Sweeney – (Antony Partos)
The Artful Dodger (Disney+) – (Antony Partos) – out now - I Am Mother starring Hilary Swank – (Antony Partos) – out now
- RUN (Binge) – (Jono Ma & Jackson Milas) – out now
- BUMP (Stan) – (Jackson Milas) – out now
- Sunny Nights (Stan Original) – (Matteo Zingales)
Vivid Sydney Drone Show: Star-Bound runs from 22 May, Sunday to Wednesday at 7:30pm and 9:30pm (excluding Sunday 7 June).
