Jonathan Tunick

Jonathan Tunick /ˈtjuːnɪk/ (born April 19, 1938, New York City, New York) is an American orchestrator, musical director, and composer, one of eleven people to have won all four major American show business awards: the Tony Awards, Academy Awards, Emmy Awards and Grammy Awards.^[1] He is best known for his work with Stephen Sondheim, starting in 1970 with Company and continuing to the present day.

Biography

He graduated from the LaGuardia Performing Arts High School, and holds degrees from Bard College and the Juilliard School.^[1] Tunick's principal instrument is the clarinet.^[2]

Much of his work has arisen from his involvement in theatre, and he is associated especially with the musicals of Stephen Sondheim.^[3] Sondheim said of Tunick's work: " 'I think he's tops'..." and further noted that "Tunick is a standout in his field not only because of his musicianship and imagination, but primarily because of 'his great sensitivity to theatrical atmosphere.' "^[4]

Tunick also has a band, the "Broadway Moonlighters", which played at Birdland in March 2012^[2] and in 2008 with Barbara Cook as his special guest.^[5] He has worked as an arranger and/or con­ductor on recordings with Judy Collins, Cleo Laine, Kiri Te Kanawa, Itzhak Perlman, Plácido Domingo, Johnny Mathis, Barbra Streisand, Paul McCartney and Bernadette Peters.^[6] In his review of the Bernadette Peters recording Bernadette Peters Loves Rodgers and Hammerstein (Angel Records, 2002), John Kenrick wrote: "Jonathan Tunick provides the brilliant arrangements."^[7] Tunick won the Grammy Award as "Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)/Best Background Arrangement" for his work on the song "No One Is Alone" from the Cleo Laine album Cleo Laine Sings Sondheim (RCA Victor, 1987).^[8]

Tunick won the first Tony Award for Best Orchestrations that was awarded, in 1997, for Titanic.^[3] "Also winning for 'Titanic'...Jonathan Tunick, orchestration, a new category this year."^[9] In addition to the other awards, he has won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations three times and won a Drama Desk Special Award in 1982.

Tunick was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in January 2009.^[10]

Tunick is married to actress Leigh Beery.^[1]

Work

Stage

Sources - AllMusic;^[11] Internet Broadway Database^[12]

Filmography

Sources - AllMusic;^[11] Internet Movie Database^[24]

• The Twelve Chairs - 1970 - musical director, orchestrator
• Blazing Saddles - 1974 - orchestrator
• Young Frankenstein - 1974 - orchestrator
• The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother- 1975 - orchestrator
• A Little Night Music - 1977 - composer orchestrator, conductor (winner, Academy Award)
• Columbo: Murder Under Glass - 1978 - (television) - composer, conductor
• Flying High - 1978 - (television) - composer, conductor
• 3 by Cheever: "O Youth and Beauty", "The Sorrows of Gin" and 3 by Cheever: The 5:48 - 1979 - (television) - composer, conductor
• Rendezvous Hotel - 1979 - (television) - composer, conductor
• Swan Song - 1980 - (television) - composer, conductor
• Blinded by the Light - 1980 - (television) - composer, conductor
• The Jilting of Granny Weatherall - 1980 - (television) - composer, conductor
• Fort Apache the Bronx - 1981 - composer, conductor
• Endless Love - 1981 - composer, conductor
• Reds - 1981 - orchestrator
• The Shady Hill Kidnapping - 1982 - (television) - composer, conductor
• Night of 100 Stars - 1982 - (television) - music arranger
• Sweeney Todd - 1982 - (television) - orchestrator
• Alice in Wonderland - 1983 - (television) - composer, conductor
• I Am the Cheese - 1983 - composer, conductor
• Murder, She Wrote - 1984 - (television) - series composer, conductor
• Concealed Enemies - 1984 - (television) - composer, conductor
• Brotherly Love - 1985 - (television) - composer, conductor^[25]
• Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories - 1985 - (television) - series composer, conductor
• The B.R.A.T. Patrol - 1986 - (television) - composer, conductor^[26]
• You Ruined My Life - 1987 - (television) - composer, conductor
• Into the Woods - 1991 - (television) - orchestrator
• Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall - 1993 (televised) (concert in 1992) - (television) - orchestrator^[27]
• The Last Good Time - 1994 - composer, conductor
• The Birdcage - 1996 - music arranger and adapter, composer, conductor
• Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh - 1998 - (television) - orchestrator
• The Fantasticks - 2000 - music adaptor and arranger, conductor
• Find Me Guilty - 2006 - composer, conductor
• Sweeney Todd (Tim Burton film) - 2007 - music adaptor and orchestrator

Awards

Sources - Sondheim Guide;^[3] Internet Broadway Database^[12]

• 1977 Academy Award - Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Adaptation Score - A Little Night Music^[28]
• 1997 Tony Award - Best Orchestrations for Titanic^[29]
• 1988 Grammy Award - Best Instrumental Arrangement, "No One Is Alone", performed by Cleo Laine^[30]
• 1982 Emmy Award - Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction - Night of 100 Stars^[31]
• 1994 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations - Passion^[32]
• 1997 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations - Titanic
• 2007 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations - Lovemusik^[33]

See also

• List of music arrangers

References

External links

• Jonathan Tunick at the Internet Broadway Database
• Jonathan Tunick at the Internet Movie Database