Patrick Kirst

Patrick Kirst is an Adjunct Professor at the Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California, specializing in film scoring. With a career spanning over two decades, he has composed scores for major films like The Kissing Booth trilogy and documentaries such as Welcome to Pine Lake. His work bridges European classical traditions and modern technological innovations.

• Born and raised in Germany
• Active in Los Angeles media industry since 2000s
• Core faculty at Chigiana Summer Intensive Film Music Workshop (Siena, Italy) since 2022

Kirst's research interests focus on emotional expression through film music, hybrid orchestral-technological soundscapes, and dramaturgical approaches to scoring. He emphasizes creating musical contexts that transcend individual elements, drawing from his early theater experiments.

As educator, he has chaired USC's film scoring program and mentored globally through masterclasses. His modern retro style combines classical foundations (Beethoven, Stravinsky) with contemporary techniques (Thomas Newman, Hans Zimmer influences).