Theo Elwell: The Composer Behind Volvo’s Viral ‘Moments’ Campaign

At just 27, Theo Elwell is making his mark on the world of film, television, and commercial composition. A composer, orchestrator, and award-winning instrumentalist, Theo has already worked on two Warner Bros productions, contributed to the teams of acclaimed composers like Nainita Desai and David Schweitzer, and collaborated with cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema (‘Interstellar’, ‘Dunkirk’, ‘Oppenheimer’). His ability to weave nostalgia, intimacy, and cinematic grandeur into his scores has earned him recognition across the industry, most notably graduating from Young Arrows to the British Arrows in 2025, where he’s nominated for his work on Volvo EX90’s viral campaign ‘Moments That Never Happen’.

Theo’s musical journey began as a chorister and violinist, training internationally before earning a double scholarship at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Now, he seamlessly blends his classical roots with contemporary storytelling, orchestrating for acclaimed artists like Tom Misch while scoring prestigious projects such as the BAFTA-winning ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’.

Today, LBB’s Zoe Antonov speaks to Theo about his approach to scoring Volvo’s ‘Moments’, his wider composition journey and what the future holds for him.

LBB> Congratulations on your British Arrows nomination for Volvo’s ‘Moments’ campaign! Can you tell us about your creative approach to scoring this piece?

Theo> Thank you! This project had a slightly different process than usual. The team hadn’t started shooting when I was brought on board, so I was working with a storyboard at the very beginning. This meant I couldn’t rely on the picture to dictate what I should write, which actually ended up being a positive thing.

Building a sound world purely from your imagination and away from the picture always seems to sound more convincing to me – like the relationships between the different musical elements are more organically connected. This also meant that I had relatively free rein when it came to composing. I experimented with a lot of different sounds to represent various feelings – uncertainty, naivety, excitement – and I was quite liberal with the use of silence, to let the music breathe. I’ve always been fascinated by capturing the feeling of nostalgia, and I think there’s an element of bittersweetness and reflection in the music which I’m particularly proud of too.

LBB> The Moments campaign has resonated widely—what do you think makes the music such a powerful part of the storytelling?

Theo> I was really lucky with our editor Nik in that it was quite a symbiotic process. I had some ideas about representing the calmness/cosiness of home life in various instruments like my upright piano and wind-up music box. I think there’s also a lullaby-like element to the human voices in the score which might particularly resonate with people. I really wanted the music during the scenes at home to sound like they were coming from that environment, rather than just providing an emotional bed. Nik’s editing magic really increased that feeling of immersion which I think is a big reason the film is such a success.

LBB> How does it feel to be recognised at the British Arrows?

Theo> It’s brilliant. It feels like a win just to be nominated, to be honest. I was a finalist at the Young Arrows back in 2024 so it was very surreal to have the call-up to the British Arrows among an incredibly talented group of nominees. On top of that, it’s been really lovely to receive messages from people around the world saying how much the music meant to them - one person even asked if they could play it as they walked down the aisle!

LBB> You’ve worked on major campaigns and productions before, but what made ‘Moments’ stand out as a project for you?

Theo> Unusually, I didn’t see the final cut until relatively near the end of production, which meant I saw the culmination of everyone’s work all at once. The main thing that stands out to me with ‘Moments’ is the story telling. It’s rare you have so many talented people on one project, and the combination of Marcus’ direction, Nik’s editing and Hoyte’s cinematography I think told the story perfectly.

LBB> The campaign feels both cinematic and intimate; how did you achieve that balance in the music?

Theo> That’s great to hear! That’s exactly what I wanted. The film is ostensibly a whole lifetime in about three minutes, so it was important the music reflected this and grew throughout. I used things like violins and the human voice (beautifully sung by Millie Smith) to reflect the more intimate moments, namely the young couple’s relationship, and added in the organ and a larger chamber ensemble when the story starts to build towards the couple making a life together and the birth of their daughter.

LBB> You’ve collaborated with legendary figures like Hoyte van Hoytema. How did those experiences influence your approach to composing for commercial campaigns?

Theo> Well, I didn’t know Hoyte was attached to the project while I was working on it - otherwise my nerves might’ve got the better of me! I’ve had the pleasure of working with some big names on various productions, all of whom have been brilliant collaborators and are usually laser focused on achieving the creative vision.

LBB> You started your musical journey as a chorister and violinist – how does that classical foundation shape your work today?

Theo> I was lucky enough to grow up playing and singing a huge variety of music, from Madrigals and early choral polyphony to big symphonic works by Holst and Mahler. There was always something different playing when I got home too, so that attraction to exploring new sounds/musical worlds was born very early on. That’s what attracted me to the job, I think. There can be a stigma around being a ‘jack of all trades’ but I think being adaptable is a huge strength. I just did a bossa nova-style track for a campaign and it was great fun!

LBB> As an orchestrator and composer, do you find your approach differs when working on film and TV versus commercial campaigns?

Theo> The biggest difference is time. The pitching deadlines in the advertising world are usually two to three days which means you need to have (an almost insane amount of) confidence with your first couple of ideas and run with them. With film and TV work, you might have more time to build a sonic landscape, develop themes for different characters etc. and then feedback with directors. Both have their challenges and highlights, and often inform one another in my writing process.

LBB> What was the biggest challenge in composing for ‘Moments’, and how did you overcome it?

Theo> We spent a while getting the tone right, I sent over some very varied demos. I have faint memories of a baroque recorder quartet at one stage... But the team at String & Tins were just brilliant at steering me in the right direction (shoutout to Adam). They’re pros and their suggestions are always on the money.

LBB> Looking ahead, what kind of projects are you most excited to take on next?

Theo> I have some exciting long-form projects in the pipeline, as well as ad campaigns of course. I’m devoting a lot of time to arranging for artists at the moment which is a real passion of mine. I recently did some string arrangements for Tom Misch, and it reminded me what a luxury it is to work with other musicians, especially those of such a high calibre.