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Henry Mancini (1924-1994) was a pianist, composer, conductor and arranger, best remembered for his film and television scores. Born Enrico Nicola Mancini in Cleveland, Ohio, he grew up in the steel town of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. Mancini began piccolo lessons at the age of 8 and piano lessons at the age of 12. He graduated high school in 1942 and attended the renowned Juilliard School of Music in 1943, but after only one year at Juilliard, he was drafted into the U.S. Army. Soon after he was discharged from the Army in 1946, Mancini became a pianist and arranger for the very newly re-formed Glenn Miller Orchestra where he broadened his composition, counterpoint, and orchestration skills. In 1952 Mancini joined the Universal Pictures music department where for the next 6 years, he contributed music to over 100 movies. In 1958, he left Universal to work as an independent composer/arranger and it was here where he connected with writer/producer Blake Edwards developing a working relationship that lasted over 35 years, and scoring nearly 30 films and television series. Throughout his career Mancini recorded over 90 albums in styles ranging from big band to light classical to pop; eight of these albums were certified gold. In addition, he recorded 60 commercial albums for RCA Records, with whom he had a 20-year contract. During his lifetime, Mancini conducted over 600 symphony performances - a rate of approximately fifty engagements per year, as well as conducting nearly all of the leading symphonies of the world, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic, the Boston Pops, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, to name but a few. In the course of his career, Mancini was nominated for an unprecedented 72 Grammys, winning 20; was nominated for 18 Academy Awards, winning four; won a Golden Globe Award; was nominated for two Emmys; and won a total of four Oscars. Sadly, Mancini died on June 14, 1994 of pancreatic cancer, he was 70 years old. Photograph article dated March 4, 1963 partially reads, "Three thousand people heard the Valley Symphony Orchestra and watched Henry Mancini conduct Saturday evening at Valley State College gymnasium in Northridge. The crowd was three times the size of any drawn by the orchestra before. They had come for a variety of reasons: Most to hear Henry Mancini, whose film background music has brought critical acclaim the world around. Many to support the Valley Symphony Orchestra in its benefit concert. All to hear good music."
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;26 x 21 cm. Photographic prints
Mancini, Henry Arrangers (Musicians)--United States Conductors (Music)--United States Composers--United States Orchestras--California--Los Angeles Pianists--United States Crowds--California--Los Angeles Northridge (Los Angeles, Calif.) Valley Times Collection photographs
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