Michael Convertino

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Michael John Convertino (* 1953 in New York City , New York as Michael Hurt ) is an American composer , musician and singer who has made a name for himself in Hollywood primarily with his compositions for film music .

life and work

Michael Convertino was born as Michael Hurt in New York in 1953. As a child he was interested in all forms of music at an early age. In his youth he was enthusiastic about a wide variety of styles: Classical music , jazz but also rock music . He learned to play the guitar and sing. The real intention of Convertino, however, was to make a career as a concert pianist. He took courses from the well-known concert pianist Jean Casadesus (1927–1972), but quickly realized that he was fascinated by the entire field of composition and then studied composition at Yale. There he also became the frontman and member of a successful Yale jazz band. After graduating from Yale University , he continued his musical career by studying at the Paris Conservatory and the Nice Conservatory. Convertino composed his first own classical pieces and made his compositional debut at the age of 23 at Carnegie Hall .

When he returned to America in the early 1980s, Convertino gained some notoriety as the lead singer and songwriter with The Innocents , as one of the cast: Michael Hurt (Convertino) - vocals, guitar; Thomas Newman - keyboards; Tony Kowalski - lead guitar; Chris Kaye - drums; Marten Ingle - bass was discovered by music producer Bob Margouleff. The band played a mix of new wave and alternative rock . The five talented musicians made their first public appearance with The Innocents , on an hour-long NBC broadcast, on February 21, 1982 with a musical performance in the style of The Monkees . In Los Angeles in 1982 the band recorded their first and only album entitled The Innocents . The record company The Boardwalk Entertainment Co had signed them and put the finishing touches on music producer Robert Margouleff and his sound engineer Howard Siegel.

Through his friendship with the keyboardist of the group The Innocents Thomas Newman he met his brother David Newman , the son of well-known Hollywood composer Alfred Newman , who, in 1984 just the soundtrack to Walt Disney production Frankenweenie , directed by Tim Burton compose should and invited him to participate musically. After working with David Newman , he had taken a liking to film music, which for him could combine all kinds of music.

"Original English quote:" His range is extraordinary: from classical composition to Dixiland Jazz. He's a unique, inventive talent that is a film maker's dream "."

- Film producer Denise Shaw : - Booklet Text zu: Das Rosenbett - (Bed of Roses) (1996)

Convertino made a name for himself as a composer in Hollywood for director Randa Haines' critically acclaimed and multi- Oscar winning drama God's Forgotten Children . At the 1988 Grammy Awards , he received a nomination in the Best Arrangement On An Instrumental category for the Main Title of God's Forgotten Children .

He then composed the music for a number of critical and commercially successful films. Including Annie's Men , The Doctor - An Ordinary Patient (1991), Walter & Frank - A Weird Couple (1993), Pocket Money (1994), Santa Clause - A Nice Present (1994), The Afterlife in Denver (1995) , Shades of Guilt (1996), Die and Inherit (1997), From the Jungle to the Jungle (1997), Dance with Me (1998) and Liberty Stands Still (2002).

In the 1980s and 1990s he won a BMI Film Music Award . In the 2000s, Convertino only carried out composition commissions sporadically.

Awards ceremonies

Filmography

Short films

cinemamovies

Television films

  • 1986: Christmas Snow
  • 1987: Mistress on Call (Mistress)
  • 1990: When Marriage Turns to Hell (Shattered Dreams)
  • 1991: The Pure Truth (The Antagonists)
  • 2001: Snow White

TV Shows

  • 1986: Faerie Tale Theater - Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp (1 episode, 1986)
  • 1990: Tales from the Crypt (Tales from the Crypt) (1 episode, 1990 - Judy, You're Not Yourself Today )

Discography

Rock album with "The Innocents"

  • 1982: The Innocents, (The Innocents) , Record Label: The Boardwalk Entertainment Co, Catalog No: VS NB1-33250

Chamber music

  • 1995: Sentences in Preludes (4), Balancing Act, Bill Booth, (Crystal Records)
    • Preludes (4): no 1 for Flute, Clarinet, Trombone, 2 Pianos and Harp (1)
    • Preludes (4): no 2 for Trombone and Piano (1)
    • Preludes (4): no 3 for Clarinet, Trumpet, 2 Trombone, Percussion, 2 Pianos, Viola and Cello (1)
    • Preludes (4): no 4 for Trumpet, Trombone, Harp, Piano, Viola and Cello (1)

literature

  • Michael Convertino - Interview. in the French film music magazine : Musique à l'écran - Main Title. N ° 16 Juillet 1997, pages 24-27, ISSN  1260-4194
  • Michael Convertino - portrait and film music analysis. by Royal S. Brown, in: Overtones and Undertones: Reading Film Music. University of California Press, 1994, pp. 180-181, ISBN 0-520-08544-2 .
  • Michael Convertino - filmography. by Fred Karlin, in: Listening to Movies - The Film Lover's Guide to Film Music. Schirmer Books, New York 1994, page 267, ISBN 0-02-873315-0 .
  • Michael Convertino - filmography. by Steven C. Smith in: Film Composers Guide - First Edition. Lone Eagle Publishing, Beverly Hills, California 1990, page 32, ISBN 0-943728-36-3 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The Innocents at Discogs
  2. ↑ Michael Convertino in: Tim Burton, Kristian Fraga: Tim Burton: Interviews. University Press of Mississippi (2005), xxviii.
  3. ↑ Grammy nomination for Michael Convertino in the category "Best Arrangement On An Instrumental" at the 1988 Grammy Awards for the Main Title Children of a Lesser God
  4. ↑ The Innocents at Discogs
  5. ^ Chamber music by Michael Convertino at Allmusic
personal data
SURNAME Convertino, Michael
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Hurt, Michael (maiden name); Convertino, Michael John (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American composer, musician and singer
DATE OF BIRTH 1953
PLACE OF BIRTH New York City , New York, United States