Elliot Goldenthal

Elliot Goldenthal - American score composer

Person from United States

Genres: Soundtrack, instrumental, Classical, score, composer

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About Elliot Goldenthal

Elliot Goldenthal (born May 2, 1954) is an American composer of contemporary classical music, film scores, and theatrical works. He studied composition under Aaron Copland and John Corigliano and is known for incorporating a wide range of musical styles and techniques into his compositions. In 2002, he received the Academy Award for Best Original Score for his work on the film "Frida", directed by Julie Taymor, his longtime partner. Goldenthal was born in Brooklyn, New York City, to a Jewish father who worked as a house painter and a Catholic mother who worked as a seamstress. His grandparents immigrated to the United States from Bucharest and Iași, Romania. Growing up in a multicultural environment, he was exposed to a variety of musical traditions and genres, influences that have been reflected in his later work. He attended John Dewey High School in Brooklyn, where his ballet "Variations on Early Glimpses" was performed when he was fourteen years old. During the 1970s, he also performed with rock bands. He later studied at the Manhattan School of Music, where he was a student of composer John Corigliano. Goldenthal earned a Bachelor of Music degree in composition in 1977 and a Master of Music degree in composition in 1979. Throughout his career, Goldenthal has composed music for concert performances, theatre productions, dance works, and films. His film credits include "Pet Sematary", "Alien 3", "Michael Collins", "Batman Forever", "Heat", and "Frida". In addition to composing the score for "Frida", he appeared briefly in the film as a newsreel reporter. He also appeared in the stage production "Juan Darién" in the role of a circus barker and street singer. Goldenthal collaborated on several occasions with Irish director Neil Jordan, including on the films "Interview with the Vampire" (1994) and "In Dreams" (1999). Among his theatre works are "Juan Darién: A Carnival Mass", which received a Tony Award, and "The Green Bird", based on a story by Carlo Gozzi. In 2006, Goldenthal completed the three-act opera "Grendel", created in collaboration with Julie Taymor and based on John Gardner's novel of the same name. The opera presents the story of "Beowulf" from the perspective of the monster Grendel. It premiered at the Los Angeles Opera in June 2006, with Eric Owens performing the title role. The work was later added to the company's permanent repertoire and earned Goldenthal a nomination for the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2007. In 2008, Goldenthal reunited with director Michael Mann to compose the score for the film "Public Enemies". The following year, he composed the score for "The Tempest", a film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play directed by Julie Taymor. Goldenthal has cited Japanese composer Tōru Takemitsu as a significant influence on his work and career. He has also commented on the increasingly blurred distinction between traditional concert music and orchestral film scoring, viewing the convergence of the two forms as a positive development.

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