On Wednesday night, millions globally will witness Sydney Harbour’s New Year’s Eve spectacle, a performance renowned for its pyrotechnics but equally defined by its intricate sonic landscape.
At the heart of this year’s auditory experience for the transition into 2026 is Jono Ma, co-founder of Sonar Music, who has composed the twelve-minute midnight soundtrack, “Higher Together.”
This monumental undertaking requires a precise blend of technical mastery and creative vision, designed to synchronise with thousands of fireworks illuminating the Harbour Bridge and Opera House.
Ma’s composition draws from a diverse palette, ensuring high energy throughout the show with a high-voltage mix of acid house, gospel, rave, and electro.
These contemporary genres are layered with a full orchestral arrangement, creating a genre-bending work characteristic of Ma’s distinguished career as a producer and composer.
The production involved over 100 musicians and creatives, marking a significant achievement for both Ma and the Sonar Music team.
While the New Year’s Eve show represents a pinnacle, Jono Ma’s work, through Sonar Music, permeates much of Australia’s daily soundscape, from high-end dramas to pervasive commercial campaigns.
Formed in 2010, Sonar Music is a collective of talented individuals including Ma, David McCormack, Matteo Zingales, Andrew Lancaster, and Antony Partos.
David McCormack is notably the voice behind Bandit Heeler in the globally popular children’s series, Bluey, illustrating the studio’s diverse reach.
Since its inception, Sonar Music has garnered over 300 accolades across local and international stages, including contributions to Oscar-nominated films.
The studio has crafted scores for some of Australia’s most recognisable advertising campaigns, from the iconic “I feel like a Tooheys” ads to major works for Qantas, Coca-Cola, and the Commonwealth Bank.
This ability to seamlessly transition between crafting 30-second commercial spots and composing feature-length film scores distinguishes them in a competitive market.
Sophie Haydon, Sonar Executive Producer, highlighted the Sydney Harbour project as a unique opportunity to showcase the studio’s global capabilities.
This high-profile performance coincides with several other major releases from the Sonar stable, demonstrating the breadth of their ongoing work.
On January 1, Binge will release its original series “RUN,” a drama about notorious bank robber Brenden “Postcard Bandit” Abbott, featuring an original score by Jono Ma and Jackson Milas.
The sound profile for “RUN” marks a distinct departure from the celebratory rave vibes of the New Year’s Eve soundtrack.
For this project, the team embraced a darker, more atmospheric toolkit, utilising hardware synths and industrial rhythm sections to create a gritty, authentically Australian soundscape that matches the narrative’s tension.
This stylistic flexibility underscores the remarkable versatility inherent among Sonar’s composers.
While Ma explores industrial synths, fellow Sonar co-founder Antony Partos has contributed to some of the season’s most significant cinematic releases.
Partos composed the score for “Christy,” director David Michôd’s new feature film starring Sydney Sweeney, set for an Australian release on January 8.
His extensive resume includes work on Disney+’s “The Artful Dodger” and the Oscar-nominated “Tanna,” solidifying his reputation as a sought-after composer in the global film industry.
The studio’s influence extends significantly to box office success, exemplified by Matteo Zingales, another Sonar heavyweight.
Zingales, collaborating with rising talent Josie Mann, scored the family comedy “Kangaroo,” which has become the highest-grossing Australian film of 2025.
This achievement highlights Sonar’s ability not just to win awards, but also to create content that resonates widely with Australian audiences.
The statistics surrounding Sonar Music reveal a creative powerhouse: contributions to over 250 television series and 100 films, alongside amassing over 150 million streams on Spotify.
The team navigates diverse demands with apparent ease, balancing commercial needs for brands like Toyota with artistic projects such as “Kill Jackie,” starring Catherine Zeta-Jones.
This unique capability to bridge varied creative worlds sets them apart in the global media landscape.
As 2026 approaches, Sonar Music’s pipeline remains incredibly active, with “RUN” launching soon and several feature films in production, ensuring their continued influence on Australian media.
While scoring technology evolves, the fundamental requirement for compelling melody and rhythm persists, always aiming to evoke an emotional response from the listener.
Whether crafting dark synths for a crime drama or an acid house beat for a fireworks display, Sonar’s objective remains consistent.
For those observing the Sydney fireworks, listening intently to the layers of the “Higher Together” track reveals a massive technical feat.
Orchestrating music to the millisecond across Sydney Harbour demands exceptional coordination among the ABC broadcast team, the City of Sydney, and Sonar’s composers.
This ensures the transition into the new year is as profound an auditory experience as it is a visual spectacle.
The prominence of Australian talent like Jono Ma on such a pivotal global stage reinforces the nation’s world-class creative directors.
As the clock counts down, the blend of industrial drum machines and orchestral swells represents months of dedicated work by industry leaders.
This momentous occasion perfectly concludes a significant year for Australian film and television, with 2026 poised to be equally impactful for Sonar Music.
