HASSAN – DIR. MUHAMMAD ALSHARIF, 2025.
Composer and violinist.
Music for human rights.
FILM
Film & documentary scoring
MUSIC
Albums & Live
manw
Make Art Not War Podcast
Biography
David Chivers is a French-American composer, violinist, and producer whose work for film and documentary is rooted in a conviction that art must serve society and respond to the world we live in. Composing for stories that engage with human rights and social justice is, for him, a powerful way to fulfil this purpose.
He composed the original score for Jon Snow: A Witness to History (Channel 4). His collaboration with Coorigines Productions has led him to score several Palestinian documentaries: Hassan (Muhammed Alsharif), The Clown of Gaza (Abdulrahman Sabbah), and Unfinished Stories (Nidal Damo). He also composed the score for Sama, by Rabab Khamis, supported by Cannes Docs and due for broadcast on Arte, as well as for The Engineer, by British director Sam Reynard.
Originally trained as a classical violinist, David won First Prize at the International Croydon Competition and has performed worldwide as a soloist, chamber musician, and early music specialist.
He is also the creator and host of the Make Art Not War podcast, a space for dialogue on the political and cultural role of the artist in today’s world.
“David is not only an excellent composer but a wonderful collaborator. He takes on board the demands and complexity of a film’s narrative and brings great sensitivity, freshness and nuance to the table. He’s easy to work with and fast.”
Paul Dosaj — BAFTA, RTS, Grierson and Broadcast Awards
Selected films
Newsletter
Music is how I try to make sense of the world — and lately, that means scoring stories that refuse to look away: displacement, erased histories, what people hold onto when everything else is taken. I don’t think art has to stay comfortable to be beautiful.
I trained as a classical violinist, and the stage still matters to me as much as the studio. Alongside composing and performing, I host a podcast called Make Art Not War, where I talk to artists whose work sits close to conflict and resistance.
If any of that resonates, sign up below and I’ll keep you posted as new work, scores, podcast episodes and shows come together.