Lee Holdridge
| Lee Holdridge | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 3, 1944 Port-au-Prince, Haiti |
| Occupation | Composer, orchestrator |
| Relatives | Leslie Holdridge (father) |
Lee Elwood Holdridge (born March 3, 1944) is an American composer and orchestrator.[1]
Contents
Biography
Holdridge was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, of a Puerto Rican mother and an American father, the botanist and climatologist Dr. 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 Grammy Award winning 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, Splash, A Tiger's Tale, Old Gringo, Beautiful Music, Puerto Vallarta Squeeze, 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 1976 western series Sara, 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]
Holdridge is married to ex-ballet dancer Elisa Justice. She is 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.
Recent films include the epic documentary feature film by Richard Trank on Winston Churchill entitled Winston Churchill: Walking with Destiny and the Hallmark Movie The Shunning. The newest film projects include the forthcoming It Is No Dream, Hell and Mr. Fudge, The Confession, Liz & Dick, When Calls The Heart and The Prime Ministers: The Pioneers and The Prime Ministers: Soldiers and Peacemakers.
Recent works include Ode to Orion premiered by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and Concierto Para Mendez premiered by the Los Angeles Opera as well as concert versions of An American Hymn, Mists of Avalon, Suite for Flute and Orchestra, Moonlighting and Once Again It’s Christmas Time This Year.
Recently Placido Domingo and the Los Angeles Opera Company premiered the full length opera Dulce Rosa based on an Isabel Allende short story. Filmed in HD, a DVD is planned for the near future as well as productions by other opera companies.
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"
- Won, 1974, Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special for: Jonathan Livingston Seagull soundtrack (shared with Neil Diamond, Tom Catalano and others).
- Nominated, 1988, Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television for: Moonlighting theme song.
- Won, 1988, Top TV Series for: Moonlighting (1985)
Further reading
- New York Theatre Critics' Reviews: Index, 1940-1960. Original from the University of Michigan.
- Of Love & Hope - Selections Form Beauty and the Beast By Lee Holdridge, Don Davis, Milton Okun, Larry Kenton, Edwin McLean. Published 1990, Cherry Lane Music. ISBN 0-89524-484-5
See also
References
External links
- Official website
- Lee Holdridge at the Internet Movie Database
- PBS biography as composer for American Valor
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- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- Official website not in Wikidata
- 1944 births
- Haitian people of American descent
- Haitian people of Puerto Rican descent
- People from Port-au-Prince
- American male classical composers
- American classical composers
- Emmy Award winners
- Living people
- American opera composers
- American film score composers
- Male film score composers
- American television composers
- 20th-century classical composers
- 21st-century classical composers
- 20th-century American musicians
- 21st-century American musicians
