Film & Television Composer
Notes Against Walls
Tammy Ari (Tanya Ariaratnam) is a Los Angeles-based, Sri Lankan-Australian composer, who is best known for her scores for In Her Nature (PBS), For Winter (National Geographic), Drug Lords: The Takedown (National Geographic), Tripped Up (Lunch Hour Productions), The Australian Wars (Blackfella Films), and more.
Her deep roots as a classical pianist, coupled with her prior ventures as a songwriter-producer in the electronic music world, has culminated in an elixir of experiences that give her scores a unique sensory tone. Tammy’s creative ethos and approach is about throwing notes against walls — music that challenges sonic boundaries and is a vessel to propel breakthrough storytelling.
Tammy has been globally recognized as a leading voice among a new generation of film composers — having been selected to join the prestigious 2025 Women in Film Fellowship Program, Television Academy, 2025 ScreenCraft Works Cross-Border Mentoring Programme, and APRA AMCOS 23% mentorship program (mentoring emerging composer talent).
Tammy’s compositions have also led her to collaborate with acclaimed composers such as Jacob Collier (Reflection: A Walk with Water) and Kris Bowers (Dreaming Freedom - where she received a Hollywood Music In Media Award Nomination in 2024). Moreover she has worked as a freelance composer with globally renowned production houses such as Quincy Jones Productions, Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control Productions, The DA’s Office, Hyperballad Music, and Cleod9 Music.
With a passion for connecting creatives, and harnessing music social impact, Tammy founded composing house,Veirtu and non-profit production house, xPropelr.
“Working with Tammy was an incredibly collaborative and fulfilling experience. It was amazing how she was able to deepen the emotional highs and lows of our film through clever and nuanced compositions -
truly lifting the scenes to a whole new level.”
Taylor Schuelke, Producer, Impact Story Lab, National Geographic
“Tammy’s score elevated every frame of our 6-part series. Her beautifully crafted main theme and distinct character motifs brought emotional depth and cohesion to the storytelling, amplifying our characters’ experiences and drawing the audience in on a profound level. Her music didn’t just accompany the visuals — it helped define them. Beyond her immense talent, working with Tammy was a true joy — our spotting sessions were not only creatively rich, but genuinely fun thanks to her warmth, thoughtfulness, and collaborative spirit.”
Katie Schuler, Director, In Her Nature for PBS
“I have had the pleasure of collaborating with Tammy on several TV series, including the award-winning documentary series, The Australian Wars. Throughout our projects together, Tammy has consistently proven to be a brilliant screen composer, bringing her immense talent and creativity to each project.
Tammy's ability to translate the emotions and atmosphere of a scene into music is truly remarkable. She has a keen ear for detail and an intuitive understanding of how to enhance storytelling through her compositions. Additionally, Tammy's professionalism, commitment to excellence, and open communication style make her an absolute joy to work with.“
Adam Gock, Co-Founder, The D.A’s Office
Thanks to her grandmother’s passionate welcome to the piano, music was the first language that Tammy Ari spoke. With roots of being a classically trained pianist from the age of 3, performing from the age of 5, achieving an Associate in Music, Australia (AMusA), and learning under world renowned concert pianist, Ronald Farren-Price and his wife, Margaret Farren-Price, there is no question that this grounding has shaped the sonic space that Tammy creates today.
Tammy also voyaged into other instruments at a young age (violin and voice) and the stage fast became her second home at venues such as the prestigious Arts Center in Melbourne, Australia — performing in the acclaimed musical theatre production, Mack & Mable and with the junior Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
She later found herself falling into the EDM world, landing her first international record deal as a songwriter, releasing Love Fortress and Do You Feel Me (Vibrate Sounds) with DJ Ahmet Atasever. This then snowballed into producing and writing the single, The Calm (Detox Recordings), which garnered the attention of renowned Swedish DJ, Stone Bridge, who flipped it into a remix.
However, It was her retro-electronic project, Neon Georgie, that her alter ego, flexibility and artistic prowess was exposed. With tunes that recall vintage patches, cheesy synth lines and some base lines with old souls, these NG tunes took you on a surreal journey, trapped somewhere between the 1970s to 1990s. Despite it being a passion project for Tammy, the occasional headline show to support the release of the two albums, Rockamotor & Kaleidescoping found her band at some of Australia’s best venues, with a stellar crowd to match.
It is through this cross-pollination of classical and EDM music experiences, that Tammy’s work as a composer has developed a unique tonal character that blends the best of organica and electronica.
As a composer, Tammy published her first work, Crocodile River nationally (ANZCA Music Magazine) at the age of 8. Ironically, Tammy’s ‘first gig’ and foray into the motion picture space was when she got the opportunity to compose for Jimmy Barnes’, My First Gig (Max Channel).
Upon relocating to Los Angeles, Tammy worked directly for Hans Zimmer’s protege, Michael A. Levine, where she assisted him on Siren, Season 1 (Disney) and The Son, Season 2 (AMC).
She now works as a freelance composer under her creative production house, Veirtu.
The Backstory
“Tammy helped bring another sense of flavor, character and life to the short, Run. Her ability to take on feedback and contributing suggestions made this collaboration a true joy.”
Jordan Booker, Director
“Tammy from Veirtu played a vital role on the music composition team for the feature documentary, Rose Gold. Collaborating with her on this project allowed me to witness her proficient skills in scoring to picture, her high production standards, and her talent for melodic writing. In addition to these she has an exciting
way of blending organic and synthetic elements in her music that is unique.”
Mitch Stewart, Creative Director, The D.A’s Office
Current Projects
His Name is Eku, Titu Productions
In Her Nature, PBS Nature
Extracted, Fox Entertainment
America’s Most Wanted, Fox Entertainment