Elmer Bernstein was a prolific and renowned American film score composer and protege of Aaron Copland. Among his more than 200 film and television scores are: The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, The Ten Commandments, The Man With The Golden Arm and To Kill A Mockingbird.
A childhood professional dancer, actor and painter, Bernstein gravitated toward music at 12. He was most fortunate to be shepherded in his development as a pianist by a Juilliard teacher, leading to a short career as a classical piano virtuoso and conductor.
Bernstein later studied with composers Roger Sessions and Stefan Wolpe (whom Bernstein credited as the individual having the greatest impact on his life and music), and with Aaron Copland's associate Israel Citkowitz.
Given his innate ability to improvise and compose, these experiences prepared him well for film score composition.
Bernstein's genius lay in flexibility and adaptability born of versatility. He loved all styles of music, and could recognize what genre was most appropriate at any given moment in a film, and executed within that form to maximize the cinematic experience.
His film music often focused on the more positive emotions of romantic love, innocence, excitement and fun, although he was equally adept at heightening drama and suspense, and used jazz idioms on a number of occasions.
Bernstein was nominated for three Tony Awards: two (1968) for How Now Dow Jones as Best Composer and Lyricist (with his collaborator Carolyn Leigh) and for his music as part of a Best Musical Nomination, and for his Merlin (1983) as Best Score.
He received 14 nominations for Academy Award, but won only once - for one of his less-acclaimed scores, Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967). Bernstein is the only individual to be nominated for an Academy Award in each of the last six decades: the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s,1980s, 1990s and 2000s.
Elmer Bernstein brought an unsurpassed richness and verve to the canon of American cinema. He passed away in 2004.