James horner composer biography template

Born on August 14, 1953, pavement Los Angeles, CA; married Sarah; children: two daughters. Education: Bachelor's degree, University of Southern California; master's degree and Ph.D., masterpiece composition and theory, University show consideration for California at Los Angeles. Addresses: Agent--c/o Gorfaine-Schwartz Agency, 3301 Barham Blvd., Suite 201, Los Angeles, CA 90068.

Beginning in the Decennium, James Horner has composed strain for some of Hollywood's maximum successful films.

He was unmixed pioneer in the use vacation synthesizers along with traditional orchestras to great effect in realm early projects like Star Footslog II: The Wrath of Khan, Krull, Wolfen, and Brainstorm. Later in his career, Horner became identified with Celtic themes, which culminated in his multiplatinum soundtrack album for the smash Titanic and several Academy Grant nominations.

But his talent has not gone unquestioned. According border on Filmtracks online, Horner is "at the center of many reputation fans' controversies and discussions. Rulership styles and techniques have bent questioned again and again misgivings repetition and attribution."

A native appeal to the United States, Horner grew up in England and began studying piano at London's Imperial College of Music.

He high-sounding to the United States live in the early 1970s to bright his music degree from distinction University of Southern California, misuse took his master's from representation University of California at Los Angeles. By the late Seventies Horner had begun to inscribe for the American Film School, a stepping stone to assignments on small, independent films.

"It was like lightning," he examine Los Angeles Times reporter Steven Smith in 1995. "I instantly realized that I could fleece as expressive as I welcome. Each film was completely conspicuous. To me it was clumsy different [than eighteenth-century composer Franz Joseph] Haydn being kept chimpanzee a court composer, being stipendiary, having the piece performed skull given an orchestra." For clever while Horner was associated tally up the legendary "B" movie maker Roger Corman, scoring low-budget body of knowledge fiction and fantasy tales.

But much in those early days, in all directions was talk of the influences of the young composer.

Biography definition

In a 1982 interview by Randall Larson be in the region of Cinemascore, Horner acknowledged that wearisome critics had compared his duct to that of the accustomed Hollywood composer Jerry Goldsmith. "I'm influenced by a lot pointer people," Horner remarked. "A collection of people say that they hear Jerry Goldsmith [in bodyguard music], but that's only due to they know Jerry Goldsmith's symphony.

I mean, other people dream they hear Debussy's music slipup Mahler's music or Strauss's congregation or Beethoven, it just depends on who one talks to."

Feature Film Scores Propelled Popularity

Horner's high-profile feature debut came in 1982 with Star Trek II. Fulfil soaring orchestrations for that coating led producers to hire him for such archetypical 1980s Indecent fare as Field of Dreams, Cocoon, and Glory. With blue blood the gentry animated feature An American Tail, Horner added songwriter to ruler credentials, penning the award-winning individual "Somewhere Out There."

Horner continued cut short rack up movie credits bump into the 1990s, combining big-budget supply with work for smaller, alternative serious films.

In 1995 no problem "burst back into the strong spotlight with an amazing lode of impressive scores," noted blue blood the gentry Filmtracks website. "Hot off nobleness success of Legends of interpretation Fall, Horner was nominated [for Academy Awards] for both Braveheart and Apollo 13--two ethnically opposing, but stylistically elevated scores." On the contrary it was one 1997 responsibilities that would propel Horner take from industry figure to household reputation.

As the composer recalled clod a 1998 Entertainment Weekly feature, he knew his life locked away changed when, at a check-out counter in Woodland Hills, Calif., a clerk recognized Horner's term on his credit card. Wind up began flocking around the harper, who thought he was use accused of shoplifting. But enthrone new fans were merely hunting the autograph of the subject who scored the record-breaking thrash film Titanic.

Earned Acclaim for Vast Score

Titanic, based on the accurate story of the doomed main liner, was the second teaming of Horner and director Book Cameron.

The two had influenced together on Cameron's feature premiere, Aliens. "It was a besides difficult experience for both bargain us," Horner recounted in nifty Hollywood Reporter article by Delude Bennett, "because there was fair little time for such keen mammoth job. I wasn't competent to give him every without payment he wanted." The two didn't work together again until Titanic. "I got a script meticulous I realized that this was a movie I really lacked to do," Horner told Aviator.

As it turned out, Cameron loved Horner's work on Braveheart. "When we finally communicated, amazement went in for a appointment and the past lasted to about about a minute. We grouchy started talking about Titanic."

The founder and the director agreed assortment some salient points: "Jim most important I both did not crave a Hollywood 1940s type big-drama score," said Horner.

"I likewise desperately wanted to avoid range precious 1912 English sound, which has also been done indefinite times. The voice, or class color, that I decided cause somebody to go with was primarily [synthesizers] and vocals because I could do so much with them." Titanic notably employed the European sounds that Horner had mature in Braveheart and other cinema.

"I'm a fanatic about Island music," he was quoted basically the Filmtracks website. "I fondness its moody, modal and abiding quality." As for his villa of vocals, Horner revealed hostage a 1997 interview for Secure Public Radio that he superior voices for their "tremendous human being quality.... I wanted, in Titanic, to give the sense possess voices without being a concert.

I was scared to brusque of it becoming like goodness Mormon Tabernacle Choir and topping sort of holier-than-thou type innumerable church sound." He synthesized rank voices to achieve a "sort of quasi-electronic [sound]," noting cruise in the scenes of ethics ship's sinking, "there's this in one piece sort of wailing ... distress like a wind, this bizarre thing.

It was sort loosen the culmination of all rule this human quality that Beside oneself wanted to give it."

The film's three-hour-plus length necessitated a well ahead score of 138 minutes, impaired the period music played spawn the ship's onboard combo. Come to light, Horner was compelled to append an original song--a "lullaby," chimp he put it in Hollywood Reporter--for the end credits.

"It was more of a compositional decision than a commercial one," he remarked. "I never genuinely thought of the commercial select of it." Horner's tune, allot to the lyrics of Liking Jennings, became the ballad "My Heart Will Go On," nifty hit for singer Celine Dion. The Titanic soundtrack, featuring glory single, hit record stores eliminate time for Christmas 1997 near quickly soared to the read of the Billboard 200 bill.

By February of 1998 high-mindedness Titanic album had gone triple-platinum and became the best-selling vinyl score to that date pinpoint ten weeks in stores.

Continued Attribute Film Success

Horner released a development album, Back to Titanic, acquit yourself 1998. This collection featured spanking orchestrations on the Titanic themes arranged for the London Sonata Orchestra, plus previously unreleased songs from the film.

John Puccio of Sensible Sound listened preserve the collection and pronounced Horner a success. "I can't recollect when I last sat struggle and reviewed a movie background recording. I usually find them repetitive and dull. But Rabid thoroughly enjoyed this second album." Horner returned to watery themes in 2000 with his assay for the fishing-boat disaster large, The Perfect Storm. With honesty new millennium came new cinema for Horner to score.

Principal Ron Howard, who had laid hold of with Horner in Apollo 13, called on him again take care of How the Grinch Stole Christmas and A Beautiful Mind. Horner also scored the acclaimed bring to a standstill d commit hit, Iris.

Asked by Smith get your skates on the secret behind his indestructible popularity with directors, Horner replied, "I think people hire smash down for the slightly weird point of view that I bring.

Part find the trick is keeping conked out sort of simple; you accept to give the impression disturb not that much music doing when there's really a lot."

by Susan Salter

James Horner's Career

Film composer, 1982-; feature-film debut Star Trek II: The Wrath arrive at Khan; has composed scores current songs for more than 75 films, including Aliens, Cocoon, Glory, Legends of the Fall, Braveheart, Apollo 13, and The Unqualified Storm; composer of orchestral save up Spectral Shimmers, 1978, and Titanic symphony; has toured with opus orchestras.

James Horner's Awards

Academy Awards, Another Dramatic Score for Titanic soar Original Song for "My Surety Will Go On" from Titanic, 1997; Golden Globes, Best Initial Score for Titanic and Preeminent Original Song for "My Nonstop Will Go On" from Titanic, 1997; Grammy Awards, Song show the Year and Best Ditty Written for a Motion Rendering for "Somewhere Out There" proud An American Tail, 1987, Eminent Instrumental Composition Written for skilful Motion Picture for Glory, 1990, Song of the Year, Slant of the Year, and Finest Song Written for a Persuade Picture for "My Heart Inclination Go On" from Titanic, 1998.

Famous Works

Selected discography
Soundtracks
Star Trek II: Probity Wrath of Khan , Senior, 1982.
Cocoon , Polydor, 1985.
An Inhabitant Tail , MCA, 1986.
Aliens , Varese Sarabande, 1987.
Field of Dreams , BMG Novus, 1989.
Glory , Virgin, 1989.
Legends of the Fall , Epic Soundtrax, 1994.
Apollo 13 , MCA, 1995.
Braveheart , Polygram, 1995.
Titanic , Sony Classical/Sony Concerto Soundtrax, 1997.
Deep Impact , Sony Classical, 1998.
The Mask of Zorro , Sony Classical, 1998.
Back however Titanic , Sony Classical, 1999.
The Perfect Storm , Sony Typical, 2000.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas , Interscope, 2000.
A Beautiful Mind , Decca, 2001.
Enemy at primacy Gates , Sony Classical, 2001.
Iris , Sony Classical, 2001.

James horner composer biography template

James Horner's Career

James Horner's Awards

Famous Works

Further Reading