Which film composers are still around, age 85 and above? And which of them are still active? He or she MUST have turned 85 to qualify, no young whippersnappers below that age!
Born 1939
Wendy Carlos -- retired Franco Micalizzi -- still active? Giancarlo Chiaramello -- retired Gian Paolo Chiti -- retired Francesco Santucci -- retired Tony Hatch -- retired Gian Piero Reverberi -- retired
Born 1938
Bob Alcivar -- retired? Howard Blake -- retired? Charles Calello -- retired? Paul Chihara -- still active John Corigliano -- still active? Eric Demarsan -- still active Sven Libaek -- retired? Denny Zeitlin -- still active Jonathan Tunick -- retired Bruce Smeaton -- retired
Born 1937:
Michael Gibbs -- retired? Philip Glass -- still active Anthony Hopkins -- still active David Shire -- retired?
Born 1936:
Klaus Doldinger -- retired? Steve Reich -- still active
Born 1935:
Michel Portal -- still active Bruno Zambrini -- retired Carlo Martelli -- retired? Dick DeBenedictis -- retired Terry Riley -- still active Arvo Pärt -- still active
Born 1934:
Charles Gross -- retired? Dave Grusin -- still active? Barry de Vorzon -- retired? Paul Glass -- retired? Patrick Gleeson -- retired? Jan Klusàk -- retired?
Born 1933:
Quincy Jones -- retired? Tôn-Thát Tiét -- retired? Jerzy Woy-Wojciechowski -- retired Nora Orlandi - retired
Born 1932:
Lalo Schifrin -- retired? John Williams -- still active Per Nørgaard -- retired? Rodion Shchedrin -- retired?
Born 1931:
Sofia Gubaidulina -- retired
Born 1930:
John Scott -- still active? Clint Eastwood -- still active David Amram -- still active
Born 1929:
Stu Phillips -- retired? Michio Mamiya -- retired?
Born 1928:
Charles Strouse -- retired? George Dreyfus -- retired? Ted Nichols - retired?
Born 1927:
Gerhard Heinz -- retired? Martial Solal -- retired? Dick Hyman -- still active John Kander -- still active?
Born 1926:
Laurence Rosenthal -- still active Aleksandr Zatsepin -- retired Philip Springer -- retired David Lee -- retired
Born 1925:
??
Born 1924:
??
Born 1923:
Johnny Pate -- retired
Born 1922 or earlier:
Ray Anthony (b. 1922) -- not a composer, but played on many soundtracks. Elisabeth Waldo (b. 1918) -- not a film composer, strictly speaking, but did a couple of scores
Another popular Brit, especially from the age of TV classics, is 92. Laurie Johnson. Haven't had time to check if he's active, coz I just wanted to see my name in lights before anybody else gets in.
Well he scored the 1974 film "Stavisky", if nothing else. Okay what about Leslie Bricusse and Nico Fidenco?
Ah, OK. No big problem adding Sondheim, then, I suppose. And I guess the same applies to Bricusse -- he's also done 'proper' scores? (I really only know him from the John Williams work, where he's a lyricist and/or songwriter)
Ah, OK. No big problem adding Sondheim, then, I suppose. And I guess the same applies to Bricusse -- he's also done 'proper' scores? (I really only know him from the John Williams work, where he's a lyricist and/or songwriter)
um, well he did "Scrooge" on his own, I think ... though admittedly I suspect everything else is collaborations as songwriter with other people like Williams or Mancini as score composer.
EDIT: composing on "Goodbye Mr. Chips" is credited fully to Bricusse (with Williams "conducting and supervising").
Antón García Abril had a new concert piece premiered just last year. He's still very active in poetry and opera, and seems to appear every other month in the Spanish press, as one of the great intellectuals and groundbreakers. Not sure how active he is in film, but he scored a documentary in 2015.
The year of birth is my preference for such things, as one's age is a moving target depending on whichever month the birthdate occurs in. Plus, one year from now, a person who's currently age 84 will be eligible for this 85+ thread ...
Here's some 'born-prior-to-1930' additions for Thor:
William Kraft (1923) Robert Cobert (1924) Kenneth V. Jones (1924) Gerard Schurmann (1924) Jan Krenz (1926) David Lee (1926) Martial Solal (1927) Marc Wilkinson (1929)
Yeah, good point about the year rather than the age, but it looks more 'impressive' with the age.
Thanks for the additions, Zardoz. I thought Bjerre was the oldest living film composer (of note), but you managed to find a couple of older ones. At least Bjerre still remains the oldest ACTIVE composer.
