Biography
Gary Koftinoff is an award-winning composer of music for film and television.
He recently received a Canadian Screen Award Nomination (2024) for Best Original Music, Drama, along with co-composer Phillip Bennett, for their score on the series "Hudson & Rex" (CITY TV/ION). They have also received this same nomination consecutively, in both 2022 and 2023. In 2018 he won an ASCAP Screen Award 'Top Cable Television Series' and a Socan Award 'Domestic Television Music - Fiction' for his work on the medical drama "Saving Hope" (CTV/ION TV). He also received a Canadian Screen Award Nomination (2014) for Best Score in a Dramatic Series for "Saving Hope". In 2005, he won a Gemini Award for Best Original Score for a Dramatic Series for "Dark Oracle" (YTV), and in 2007 he won a Film & TV Music Award for Best Score for a Non-Animated Children's TV Program for the 70-episode Disney Channel series "Life With Derik" (Disney/Family Channel)
Additionally, Gary has had three other Gemini nominations for his work on over 30 films and over 350 series episodes, all composed for a client list that includes NBC, Disney, CTV, CITY TV, ION TV, ICF, CMT, Shaftesbury Films and Lifetime/Sony.
Other work includes his scores for "Salem Falls" (Lifetime Network), "Life With Derek" (Disney) and "Valemont" (MTV). He is about to start work on the 7th season of "Hudson & Rex".
Gary is comfortable creating a wide array of musical styles, from large orchestral scores with live players, as he did for the feature films "Left Behind II" and "Judgment", where between 45 and 60 musicians were recorded, to modern, contemporary styles. He is also capable of writing, recording and performing vocals for the productions he works on.
From his early studies of piano and guitar, Gary moved on to advanced studies under the tutelage of Roman Toi at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Having also picked up a Recording Engineer Certificate at the Trebas Institute for the Recording Arts, Gary provides the complete range of services required to produce a top-quality score.
With a penchant for strong, identifiable themes and poignant symphonic arrangements, Gary has become an in-demand composer for discerning producers of filmed entertainment.
