Biography

Biography

Sai Natarajan is a freelance composer and independent music producer based in New Zealand. Despite playing the piano since he was six years old, the idea of telling stories through music didn't initially appeal to him. However, during his early high school years, he discovered that this was where his passions lay.

He has been active on the composing scene since 2016, with a wide variety of projects under his belt. He has scored music for video games, documentaries, short films, podcasts, commercials, and children's audiobooks. He has also released music under his artist name "VIUS."

Since 2021, Sai has been composing concert music for live symphony orchestra. His first orchestral concert work "We Yearn to Tell Stories" was recorded by Orchestra Wellington and premiered by the Manawatū Youth Orchestra at the end of 2021, shortly before he graduated from the New Zealand School of Music.

During 2022 and 2023, he created two more new orchestral pieces, both of which were selected as finalists for the Todd Young Composer Awards (hosted by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra). The latter of these works, titled "Stargazer," earned him the Orchestra Choice prize (an award given to the finalist with the most amount of votes from the NZSO's own world-class musicians). The other piece, titled "We Long For An Adventure," was performed in four cities as part of the NZSO's "Jubilation" concert program.

Throughout 2024, he will be working on his first ever orchestral commission for the Manawatū Sinfonia, as well as a short film and two brand new indie video games from New-Zealand-based developers. His latest orchestral piece, "A Beacon in the Cosmic Blizzard" (composed for the Celestial Waters album) will be recorded by the NZSO in October.

In his spare time, Sai jams with his musician friends, goes for walks, takes average photographs, and plays far too much Rocket League for his own good. He also weirdly enjoys referring to himself in the third person.