Lee Holdridge

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Lee Holdridge
Born (1944-03-03) March 3, 1944
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Occupation Composer, orchestrator
Relatives Leslie Holdridge (father)

Lee Elwood Holdridge (born March 3, 1944) is a Haitian-born American composer and orchestrator.[1]

Biography

Holdridge was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, of a Puerto-Rican mother and an American father, the botanist and climatologist Leslie Holdridge.[2] While living in Costa Rica, at age ten, he studied the violin with Hugo Mariani, who was at the time the conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica.[2] Holdridge then moved to Boston, where he finished high school and studied composition with Henry Lasker.[2]

As an adult, Holdridge moved to New York City to continue his music studies and begin his career as a professional composer.[2] There, he composed chamber works, rock pieces, songs, theater music and background scores for short films, and eventually came to Neil Diamond's notice. Diamond then brought Holdridge with him to Los Angeles to write arrangements for his forthcoming albums.[2] After several gold and platinum hits, the two collaborated on the film score for Jonathan Livingston Seagull.[2]

Holdridge has composed, conducted, and orchestrated for many films, some of the most notable being Jeremy,[3] American Pop,[4] The Beastmaster, Mr. Mom, Puerto Vallarta Squeeze, A Tiger's Tale, Beautiful Music, Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport[2] and Brothers at War.[5] He has also composed for several television series, including The Mists of Avalon, American Family, The Brooke Ellison Story, and Moonlighting.[2]

Holdridge has performed and recorded in several concerts, including The Golden Land, the Jefferson Tribute, his suite from the opera Lazarus and His Beloved, the Concerto for Viola and Chamber Orchestra, the Concertino for Violoncello and Strings, the Serenade for Oboe and Strings, the Fantasy Sonata for ‘Cello and Piano, the Elegy for Strings and Harp, and Sonnet for soprano and orchestra.[2]

He has also written, arranged and conducted for recording artists such as Helen Reddy, Plácido Domingo, Barbra Streisand, Brian May of Queen, Stevie Wonder, John Denver, Neil Sedaka, The Angels, Daniel Rodriguez, Al Jarreau, George Benson, Peabo Bryson, Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross, Natalie Cole, Whitney Houston and Jane Olivor.[2] Lee is married to ex ballet dancer Elisa Justice. She is presently Western Region Audition Co-Director of the Metropolitan Opera National Council, hosts her own classical music radio show called "Eclectic Classics" and is co-producing a new album.

Awards and nominations

Primetime Emmy awards:

  • Nominated, 1985, Outstanding Achievement in Music and Lyrics for: Moonlighting theme song
  • Nominated, 1988, Outstanding Achievement in Main Title Theme Music for: Beauty and the Beast
  • Won, 1988, Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore)for: Beauty and the Beast pilot episode
  • Won, 1989, Outstanding Achievement in Music and Lyrics for: Beauty and the Beast song "The First Time I Loved Forever"
  • Nominated, 1990, Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Miniseries or a Special (Dramatic Underscore) for: "Do You Know the Muffin Man"?
  • Nominated, 1993, Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Composition for a Miniseries or a Special (Dramatic Underscore) for: "Call of the Wild"
  • Nominated, 1993, Outstanding Individual Achievement in Main Title Theme Music for: Bob
  • Nominated, 1995, Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Composition for a Miniseries or a Special (Dramatic Underscore) for: Buffalo Girls Part I
  • Nominated, 1996, Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music Composition for a Miniseries or a Special for: The Tuskegee Airmen
  • Nominated, 1999, Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries or a Movie (Dramatic Underscore) for: Mutiny
  • Nominated, 2002, Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Dramatic Underscore) for: The Mists of Avalon

Daytime Emmy awards:

  • Won, 2000, Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series for: One Life to Live
  • Nominated, 2002, Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series for: One Life to Live
  • Nominated, 2004, Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series for: One Life to Live
  • Won, 2005, Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series for: One Life to Live
  • Nominated, 2006, Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series for: One Life to Live

Sports Emmy awards:

  • Won, 1998, Outstanding Achievement in a Craft: Music Composition/Direction/Lyrics for: Atlanta's Olympic Glory

News and Documentary Emmy awards:

  • Won, 1988, Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music for: The Explorers: A Century of Discovery
  • Won, 1991, Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Music Composition for: World of Discovery episode "Beautiful Killers"

Grammy awards:

  • Nominated, 1988, Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television for: Moonlighting theme song.

ASCAP Awards:

  • Won, 1988, Top TV Series for: Moonlighting (1985)

Further reading

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Lee Holdridge". The New York Times. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 "Lee Holdridge Official website - Biography". Lee Holdridge. 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-15. 
  3. ↑ Discogs.com
  4. ↑ Canby, Vincent (February 13, 1981). "'American Pop' Grown-Up Animation". The New York Times. 
  5. ↑ KRNV.com

External links

Authority control
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