David Tamkin (28 August 1906 – 21 June 1975) was an American composer of Jewish descent. He devoted much of his professional career as an arranger, composer [uncredited] and orchestrator of film scores for Hollywood movies. He worked on more than 50 films between 1939 and 1970.
Tamkin was born in Chernihiv, Ukraine (then part of the Russian Empire). Before his first birthday his family emigrated to Portland, Oregon. He studied the violin from a very early age until he was a teenager. One of his teachers was Henry Bettman, a pupil of Eugène Ysaÿe. Through Bettman, Tamkin met and befriended violinist Louis Kaufman, who was also Bettman's pupil at that time. Kaufman and Tamkin enjoyed a lifelong friendship that lasted until Tamkin's death.[1]
Tamkin initially studied composition with Francis Richter . Later on, he moved to New York City, where he studied with several teachers. Later, he was enrolled as a student at the University of Oregon, where he earned a bachelors degree in music composition. He also studied with Ottorino Respighi and, later, with Ernest Bloch, before he settled in Los Angeles. The first film for which he composed music was New Frontier in 1939. Although Universal Pictures rendered most of its music staff redundant in 1949, Tamkin was retained as an arranger and an orchestrator. Between 1947 and 1960 he worked on nearly forty films, including Swell Guy with Ann Blyth, The Fighting O’Flynn with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., You Gotta Stay Happy with Eddie Albert, and Singapore with Fred MacMurray and Ava Gardner. He also orchestrated many of Dimitri Tiomkin's film scores, including The Fall of the Roman Empire. He orchestrated for composer Jerry Goldsmith on several films, including Stagecoach, The Sand Pebbles, 100 Rifles. He also was employed at other studios, including Universal Pictures.[1]
In addition to his work in film, Tamkin's oeuvre includes several works for symphony orchestra as well as two operas, which include The Dybbuk (based on S. Ansky’s Yiddish play), premiered at the New York City Opera on April 10, 1951 with tenor Robert Rounseville as Channon and Patricia Neway as Leah.[2] and, The Blue Plum Tree, his second opera, which was based on the biblical story of Jacob and Esau.[1]