Wilfried Van Baelen is the inventor of Immersive Sound and creator of the Auro-3D format, the first end-to-end immersive audio solution successfully implemented across all major markets, from cinema and music to gaming, automotive, and consumer electronics. As founder of Galaxy Studios, he built one of the world’s most advanced recording environments dedicated to immersive production. He introduced the term “Immersive Audio” in 2010 and played a key role in its global adoption. Today, he leads AuroMasters, the first streaming platform dedicated to Immersive Music, delivering true lossless, studio-grade Hi-Res immersive audio (up to 192 kHz / 24-bit) directly to consumers worldwide.

In addition, he brings extensive experience in film sound, scoring, calibration, and mixing on dubbing stages worldwide, having completed the final mix of more than twenty feature films, including Khadak, winner of the Golden Lion of the Future at the Venice Film Festival, with special recognition for its outstanding sound. Galaxy Studios also hosted the mixing of the first feature film in immersive 3D audio, Red Tails, produced by George Lucas, where the Skywalker Sound team collaborated closely with Wilfried to benefit from his expertise.

In parallel, he has been invited worldwide to deliver masterclasses on Immersive Sound for film, covering recording, sound design, and final mixing. Through these sessions, he has shared his expertise with professionals and students across the globe, further establishing his role as a leading authority in immersive audio for cinema.

At Galaxy Studios, he established and developed scoring activities from 1995, following the opening of the Galaxy Hall, purpose-built for orchestral recording. He has collaborated with leading national and international composers on numerous large-scale productions, including recent sessions such as The Sympathizer for Netflix.

This unique background enables him to bridge music production and film scoring, with deep expertise in translating sound from linear studio or home environments to cinema playback systems (X-curve). His teaching combines decades of experience in immersive audio, perception, and neuroscience, offering rare insight into creating emotionally impactful sound that translates seamlessly across all formats, from stereo to full immersive cinema.

Beyond his achievements, Wilfried is widely recognized for his ability to inspire. Through decades of hands-on work in recording and mixing, he has influenced engineers, producers, and composers worldwide. His approach blends technical mastery with creative vision, always focused on achieving the highest emotional impact in sound — whether in music, film, or immersive formats. Participants in the Galaxy Scoring Academy experience this firsthand, gaining not only knowledge but a new way of thinking about sound, space, and storytelling.

Dr. Yati E. Durant is a composer, conductor, and internationally recognized educator specializing in film music, audiovisual composition, and creative music practice. He holds a Ph.D. in Composition from the University of Edinburgh and has developed a distinctive career at the intersection of music, image, and technology. His work spans concert music, film, and multimedia performance, and has been presented at leading festivals and institutions worldwide.

Durant has held senior academic and leadership roles in Europe, including Programme Director of the MSc in Composition for Screen at the University of Edinburgh. He has taught courses, workshops, and masterclasses at institutions worldwide, including the University of Manchester, Leeds College of Music, Keele University, the Royal College of Music (London), HFF Munich, Bath Spa University, ArtEZ Arnhem, ZHdK (Zurich University of the Arts), HKU Utrecht, HEM Genève, the Conservatorio di Musica “Francesco Venezze” Rovigo, and the Franz Liszt Academy of Music Budapest, among others. He currently teaches and mentors composers internationally and directs major initiatives such as AcadeMeet at Soundtrack_Cologne, the MSCN Film Music Festivals Academy, and the International Media Music and Sound Arts Network in Education (IMMSANE), fostering collaboration between academia and the creative industries.

Alongside his academic work, he is an active conductor and collaborator, serving as Musical Director of Soundtrack_Cologne CineConcerts and working with orchestras including the WDR Funkhausorchester, Staatsorchester Braunschweig, Neues Rheinisches Kammerorchester, and the Edinburgh Film Music Orchestra. His compositions and film scores have received numerous international awards, including the Panorama Public Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival for Erika Rabau – Der Puck von Berlin, a BAFA National Commerce Film Award nomination for the WDR/ARD documentary Ein Klavier geht um die Welt, and finalist recognition at the Concorso Giovani Musicisti Europei in Aosta for his score to Charlie Chaplin’s The Vagabond. His work reflects a strong commitment to intercultural exchange, improvisation, performance, and new technologies, contributing to contemporary discourse in music for screen and sound art.

Matthias Wittwer is a composer, music producer, lecturer, and the founder and managing director of the musicube academy. He has many years of international experience in the fields of film music, audio production and artistic education. He studied saxophone and contemporary music in Germany and the Netherlands and has worked for many years both as a teacher of film music composition and production and as a creative practitioner. His professional positions include the ArtEZ University of the Arts in the Netherlands and the musicube academy in Bonn. Alongside his teaching, he has realised numerous compositions and productions for film, dance, multimedia projects, TV commercials and production music.

Nicolas Duport is an internationally acclaimed sound engineer, mixer, and arranger, with extensive experience across music production and film scoring. Throughout his career, he has contributed to major international productions such as Annette, Emilia Pérez, Brick Mansions, 3 Days to Kill, and Lockout. In parallel, he has collaborated with renowned artists including Jeanne Cherhal, David Hallyday, Benjamin Biolay, and Alizée.

His work has been recognized at the highest level, earning multiple César Awards for Best Music and Best Sound for both Annette (2022) and Emilia Pérez (2025). In addition, he received international recognition through the Academy (Oscar) Award for Best Original Song for “El Mal” from Emilia Pérez, highlighting his outstanding contribution to music in film.

Nicolas is known for combining technical excellence with a highly refined artistic sensibility. His approach goes beyond sound alone — he shapes a distinctive sonic identity where emotion, elegance, and storytelling are central.

At Galaxy Studios, he has also conducted several large-scale orchestral scoring sessions, working on the legendary analog API 80-channel inline console. This environment allows him to craft and monitor productions across all major audio formats, from stereo and surround to full immersive audio, fully aligned with the philosophy of the Galaxy Scoring Academy.

With Nicolas Duport, participants will learn from a true top-tier professional whose experience at the highest international level translates into a unique and inspiring educational experience.

Nick Benoy is an independent sound engineer based in Cologne. He earned his Master of Arts in Music Production from the KASK Conservatory in Ghent in 2018. The focus of his work centers on ensemble recordings ranging from jazz to pop to classical music, and since 2021 he has been active as a Pro Tools operator for orchestral film scoring at Galaxy Studios. There he worked on films and series such as: Narco Saints (2022), Girl You Know It's True (2023), In the Land of Saints & Sinners (2023), The Sympathizer (2024) and Uprising (2024).