David Newman (composer)

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David Newman
Born David Louis Newman
(1954-03-11) March 11, 1954 (age 59)
Los Angeles, California U.S.
Occupation composer, orchestrator, conductor
Spouse(s) Krystyna Newman (2 children; 1 stepchild)[1]

David Louis Newman (born March 11, 1954) is an American composer and conductor known particularly for his film scores. In a career spanning nearly forty years, he has composed music for nearly 100 feature films.

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Life and career [edit]

Newman was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Mississippi-born Martha Louise (née Montgomery) and Hollywood composer Alfred Newman. He is the brother of Thomas Newman and the cousin of Randy Newman, both of whom are also composers of film scores. An accomplished violinist, and successful concert conductor, Newman was educated at the University of Southern California.

His first film work was on Tim Burton's short film Frankenweenie in 1984. In 1987 he scored Danny DeVito's Throw Momma from the Train. This was his first collaboration with DeVito, and he went on to score nearly all of his subsequent films, including The War of the Roses (1989), Other People's Money (1991), Hoffa (1992), Matilda (1996) and Death to Smoochy (2002). Newman has also scored the comedies The Flintstones (1994), The Mighty Ducks (1992), The Nutty Professor (1996), and Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989).

Like his counterpart Henry Mancini, Newman's credits during the early years of his career were mostly scoring B-movies such as The Runestone (1990) and The Kindred (1987) before he gradually transitioned to score mostly comedy films during his prime such as Bowfinger (1999), The Freshman (1990) and The Spy Next Door (2010). His score for The Spirit (2008) was a tribute to Mancini's 1950s and 60s neo-noir scores such as Touch of Evil (1958) or Experiment in Terror (1962).

He received an Academy Award nomination for the score to the animated film Anastasia, following his father, who scored the 1956 live-action version. However, he lost to Anne Dudley for The Full Monty. His other scores include Critters, The Phantom, The Brave Little Toaster, Malone, Ice Age, and Serenity, among others.

In 1997, Newman began a four year stint as the music director for the Sundance Institute, and he has conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra on several occasions. That year, he also re-recorded the Twentieth Century Fox Fanfare, composed by his father Alfred.

In February 2007, he was elected president of The Film Music Society.[2]

On May 21, 2009, Newman was honored with the Richard Kirk award at the annual BMI Film & Television Awards. The prestigious award is given annually to a composer who has made significant contributions to film and television music.[3]

October 22 and 23 2012,[citation needed] Newman conducted the RSO Vienna orchestra at the annual film music gala concert Hollywood in Vienna which was broadcasted on radio and TV.

Film scores [edit]

Year Title Notes
1984 Frankenweenie Short film
1985 Amazing Stories TV series
Critters
1986 Vendetta
1987 The Brave Little Toaster Animated feature film
The Kindred
Malone
My Demon Lover
Throw Momma from the Train
1988 Pass the Ammo
1989 Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
Cranium Command
Disorganized Crime
Gross Anatomy
Heathers
Little Monsters
The War of the Roses
1990 Madhouse
Fire Birds
The Freshman
DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp Animated feature film
Mr. Destiny
Meet the Applegates
1991 The Runestone
The Marrying Man
Talent for the Game
Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead
Rover Dangerfield
Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey
Paradise
Other People's Money
1992 Itsy Bitsy Spider Animated short film
Honeymoon in Vegas
The Mighty Ducks
That Night
Hoffa
1993 The Sandlot
Coneheads
Undercover Blues
1994 The Air Up There
My Father The Hero
The Flintstones
The Cowboy Way
I Love Trouble
1995 Boys on the Side
Tommy Boy
Operation Dumbo Drop
1996 Big Bully
The Phantom
The Nutty Professor
Matilda
Jingle All the Way
1997 Out to Sea
Anastasia
1998 1001 Nights

Music inspired by Yoshitaka Amano's illustrations for the picture book Princess Budou to be performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic to concert video directed by Mike Smith[4]

1999 Never Been Kissed
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
  • Animated feature film
  • composer: additional music (uncredited)[citation needed]
Bowfinger
Brokedown Palace
Galaxy Quest
2000 The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas
Nutty Professor II: The Klumps
Duets
Bedazzled
102 Dalmatians
2001 The Flamingo Rising
Dr. Dolittle 2
The Affair of the Necklace
2002 Death to Smoochy
Ice Age
  • Animated feature film
  • Annie Award nomination for Best Music in an Animated Feature Production
Life or Something Like It
Scooby-Doo
2003 How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Daddy Day Care
Duplex
The Cat in the Hat
2004 Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed
2005 Are We There Yet?
Man of the House
Monster-in-Law
Serenity
2007 Norbit
2008 Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins
The Spirit
2009 My Life in Ruins
Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins
Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel
2010 Crazy on the Outside
The Spy Next Door
Animals United
Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster
2011 Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son
2012 A Christmas Story 2
2013 Tarzan
  • Animated feature film

References [edit]

External links [edit]