Alan Silvestri

Alan Silvestri

Silvestri in 2009
Background information
Birth name Alan Anthony Silvestri
Born (1950-03-26) March 26, 1950
New York City, New York, U.S.A.
Genres Film score
Occupation(s) Composer, conductor
Instruments Drums
Years active 1972–present

Alan Anthony Silvestri (born March 26, 1950) is an American composer and conductor who works primarily in film and television.

He is best known for his frequent collaboration with friend and film legend Robert Zemeckis, including composing major hit films such as the Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and Forrest Gump, as well as the superhero films Captain America: The First Avenger and Marvel's Avengers.

Early life and education

Silvestri's grandparents emigrated in 1908 from the Italian town of Castell'Alfero, and settled in Teaneck to raise a family.[1] He grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey[2] and attended Teaneck High School.[3] He went to Berklee College of Music for two years. Alan was a drummer for a short time in 1966 with Teaneck-based rock band, "The Herd".

Career

Silvestri started his film/television composing career in 1972 at age 21, composing the score for the low-budget action film The Doberman Gang.

From 1977 to 1983, Silvestri served as the main composer for the TV show CHiPs, writing music for 109 of the show's 139 episodes.

Silvestri met producer Robert Zemeckis, when the two worked together on Zemeckis's 1984 film Romancing the Stone. Since then, Silvestri has composed the music for all of Zemeckis's movies, including the Back to the Future trilogy (1985-1990), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Death Becomes Her (1992), Forrest Gump (1994), Contact (1997), Cast Away (2000), The Polar Express (2004), Beowulf (2007), A Christmas Carol (2009), Flight (2012), and The Walk (2015).

In 1989, Silvestri composed the score for the James Cameron-directed blockbuster The Abyss, and is also known for his work on the films Predator (1987) and Predator 2 (1990), both of which are considered preeminent examples of action/science fiction film scores. Since 2001, Silvestri has also collaborated regularly with director Stephen Sommers, scoring the films The Mummy Returns in 2001, Van Helsing in 2004, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra in 2009. His most recent work includes The Avengers in 2012, The Croods in 2013, and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb in 2014.

Silvestri has also composed music for television shows, including T.J. Hooker (one episode), Starsky & Hutch (three episodes), Tales From The Crypt (seven episodes). In 2014, he composed the award-winning music for the science documentary series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey.


On 31 January 2014, it was announced that a stage musical adaptation of Back to the Future was in production.[4] The show, which is being co-written by original writers Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, is expected to be performed in 2015, on the 30th anniversary year of the film.[5] Silvestri[6] will team up with Glen Ballard to compose a new score, with the addition of original songs from the film, including "The Power of Love", "Johnny B. Goode", "Earth Angel" and "Mr. Sandman".[7]

Personal life

Silvestri owns a vineyard, Silvestri Vineyards, located in Carmel Valley, California.[8]

Awards

Silvestri has received two Academy Award nominations, one for Best Original Score for Forrest Gump (1994) and one for Best Original Song for "Believe" on The Polar Express soundtrack. He also received two Golden Globe nominations: Best Score for Forrest Gump and Best Song for The Polar Express.

He has also received four Grammy Award nominations, winning two awards – Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, for "Believe" from The Polar Express in 2004 and Best Instrumental Composition, for "Cast Away End Credits" from Cast Away in 2002. His other nomination was for Best Soundtrack Album, for Back to the Future. During the 2005 Grammys, Josh Groban performed "Believe." [9]

He has won two Emmys, both for Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey - Outstanding Main Title Theme Music and Outstanding Music Composition for a Series for the episode "Standing Up in the Milky Way."

He has won the Saturn Award for Best Music three times, for his scores for Predator (1987), Back to the Future Part III (1989/90) and Van Helsing (2004).

On September 23, 2011, he was awarded with the Max Steiner Film Music Achievement Award by the City of Vienna at the yearly film music gala concert Hollywood in Vienna.

Discography

Films

1970s

Year Title Director Studio Notes
1972 The Doberman Gang Byron Chudnow Dimension Pictures With Bradford Craig
1975 Las Vegas Lady Noel Nosseck Crown International Pictures N/A
1976 The Amazing Dobermans Byron Ross Chudnow Golden Films N/A
1978 The Fifth Floor Howard Avedis Film Ventures International N/A

1980s

Year Title Director Studio Notes
1983 Tiger Man Matt Cimber N/A Credited as Alan Sylvestri
1984 Romancing the Stone Robert Zemeckis 20th Century Fox First collaboration with Robert Zemeckis
1984 Par où t'es rentré ? On t'a pas vu sortir Philippe Clair Gaumont Film Company N/A
1985 Fandango Kevin Reynolds Amblin Entertainment
Warner Bros.
N/A
1985 Cat's Eye Lewis Teague De Laurentiis Entertainment Group
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
N/A
1985 Back to the Future Robert Zemeckis Amblin Entertainment
Universal Pictures
Second collaboration with Robert Zemeckis
Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Music
Nominated — Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
1985 Summer Rental Carl Reiner Paramount Pictures N/A
1986 The Clan of the Cave Bear Michael Chapman Producers Sales Organization
Warner Bros.
N/A
1986 The Delta Force Menahem Golan Golan-Globus
The Cannon Group
N/A
1986 American Anthem Albert Magnoli Lorimar Motion Pictures
Columbia Pictures (theatrical)
Warner Bros. (current rights)
N/A
1986 Flight of the Navigator Randal Kleiser Producers Sales Organization
Walt Disney Pictures
N/A
1986 No Mercy Richard Pearce TriStar Pictures N/A
1987 Critical Condition Michael Apted Paramount Pictures N/A
1987 Outrageous Fortune Arthur Hiller Silver Screen Partners II
Interscope Communications
Touchstone Pictures
BMI Film Music Award
1987 Predator John McTiernan Lawrence Gordon Productions
Silver Pictures
Davis Entertainment
20th Century Fox
Saturn Award for Best Music
BMI Film Music Award
1987 Overboard Garry Marshall Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer N/A
1988 Who Framed Roger Rabbit Robert Zemeckis Amblin Entertainment
Walt Disney Pictures
Third collaboration with Robert Zemeckis
Also conductor
Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Music
BMI Film Music Award
Nominated — Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media
1988 Mac and Me Stewart Raffill Orion Pictures N/A
1988 My Stepmother Is an Alien Richard Benjamin Weintraub Entertainment Group
Columbia Pictures
N/A
1989 She's Out of Control Stan Dragoti Weintraub Entertainment Group
Columbia Pictures
N/A
1989 The Abyss James Cameron Lightstorm Entertainment (special edition only)
20th Century Fox
Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Music
1989 Back to the Future Part II Robert Zemeckis Amblin Entertainment
Universal Pictures
Fourth collaboration with Robert Zemeckis
BMI Film Music Award

1990s

Year Title Director Studio Notes
1990 Downtown Richard Benjamin 20th Century Fox N/A
1990 Back to the Future Part III Robert Zemeckis Amblin Entertainment
Universal Pictures
Fifth collaboration with Robert Zemeckis
Saturn Award for Best Music
BMI Film Music Award
1990 Young Guns II Geoff Murphy Morgan Creek Productions
20th Century Fox
N/A
1990 Predator 2 Stephen Hopkins Silver Pictures
Gordon Company
Davis Entertainment
20th Century Fox
N/A
1991 Shattered Wolfgang Petersen Davis Entertainment
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Also orchestrator
Replaced Angelo Badalamenti
1991 Back to the Future: The Ride David De Vos
Douglas Trumbull
Universal Studios Florida Film in simulator ride
1991 Soapdish Michael Hoffman Paramount Pictures Also orchestrator
1991 Dutch Peter Faiman Hughes Entertainment
20th Century Fox
Also pianist
1991 Ricochet Russell Mulcahy HBO Films
Silver Pictures
Warner Bros.
Also conductor
1991 Father of the Bride Charles Shyer Sandollar Productions
Touchstone Pictures
BMI Film Music Award
1992 Two-Fisted Tales various Carolco Pictures Segment: Yellow
Segment was extracted to become an individual episode of Tales from the Crypt
1992 Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot Roger Spottiswoode Northern Lights Entertainment
Universal Pictures
N/A
1992 FernGully: The Last Rainforest Bill Kroyer Kroyer Films
FAI Films
20th Century Fox
N/A
1992 Death Becomes Her Robert Zemeckis Universal Pictures Sixth collaboration with Robert Zemeckis
Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Music
1992 Diner Graham Morris
Karen Peterson
Marvel Productions Short film
1992 The Bodyguard Mick Jackson Tig Productions
Warner Bros.
BMI Film Music Award
1992 Sidekicks Aaron Norris Triumph Films (original theatrical release)
Alliance Films (current rights)
N/A
1993 In Search of the Obelisk Douglas Trumbull
Arish Fyzee
IMAX IMAX film
1993 Cop and a Half Henry Winkler Imagine Entertainment
Universal Pictures
N/A
1993 Super Mario Bros. Rocky Morton
Annabel Jankel
Allied Filmmakers
Cinergi Pictures
Hollywood Pictures
Replaced Jerry Goldsmith
1993 Judgment Night Stephen Hopkins Largo Entertainment
Universal Pictures
N/A
1993 Grumpy Old Men Donald Petrie Warner Bros. BMI Film Music Award
1994 Clean Slate Mick Jackson Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer N/A
1994 Forrest Gump Robert Zemeckis Paramount Pictures Seventh collaboration with Robert Zemeckis
Nominated — Academy Award for Best Original Score
Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Music
BMI Film Music Award
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score
1994 Blown Away Stephen Hopkins Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer N/A
1994 Richie Rich Donald Petrie Harvey Films
Silver Pictures
Davis Entertainment
Warner Bros. Family Entertainment
N/A
1995 The Quick and the Dead Sam Raimi TriStar Pictures N/A
1995 The Perez Family Mira Nair The Samuel Goldwyn Company N/A
1995 Judge Dredd Danny Cannon Cinergi Pictures
Hollywood Pictures
Also conductor
1995 Father of the Bride Part II Charles Shyer Touchstone Pictures BMI Film Music Award
1995 Grumpier Old Men Howard Deutch Warner Bros. BMI Film Music Award
Also conductor
1996 Sgt. Bilko Jonathan Lynn Imagine Entertainment
Universal Pictures
Also conductor
1996 Eraser Chuck Russell Kopelson Entertainment
Warner Bros.
BMI Film Music Award
Also conductor
1996 The Long Kiss Goodnight Renny Harlin New Line Cinema Also conductor
1997 Fools Rush In Andy Tennant Columbia Pictures N/A
1997 Volcano Mick Jackson Original Film
Fox 2000 Pictures
20th Century Fox
Also conductor
1997 Contact Robert Zemeckis Warner Bros. Eighth collaboration with Robert Zemeckis
ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films
Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Music
1997 MouseHunt Gore Verbinski Children's Television Workshop
Working Title Films
DreamWorks Pictures
N/A
1998 The Odd Couple II Howard Deutch Paramount Pictures Also conductor
1998 The Parent Trap Nancy Meyers Walt Disney Pictures Also conductor
1998 Holy Man Stephen Herek Caravan Pictures
Touchstone Pictures
Also conductor
1998 Practical Magic Griffin Dunne Village Roadshow Pictures
Warner Bros.
Also conductor
Replaced Michael Nyman
1999 Siegfried & Roy: The Magic Box Brett Leonard IMAX IMAX film
1999 Stuart Little Rob Minkoff Columbia Pictures ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films
Also conductor

2000s

Year Title Director Studio Notes
2000 Reindeer Games John Frankenheimer Dimension Films
Miramax Films
Also conductor
2000 Cast Away Robert Zemeckis ImageMovers
Playtone
20th Century Fox (US)
DreamWorks Pictures (International)
Ninth collaboration with Robert Zemeckis
ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films
Also conductor
2000 What Lies Beneath Robert Zemeckis ImageMovers
DreamWorks Pictures (US)
20th Century Fox (International)
Tenth collaboration with Robert Zemeckis
ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films
Also conductor and orchestrator (Uncredited)
2001 The Mexican Gore Verbinski DreamWorks Pictures Also conductor and orchestrator
2001 The Mummy Returns Stephen Sommers Alphaville Films
Universal Pictures
ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films
2001 Serendipity Peter Chelsom Tapestry Films
Miramax Films
Also conductor
2002 Showtime Tom Dey Village Roadshow Pictures
Warner Bros.
Also conductor and orchestrator
2002 Lilo & Stitch Chris Sanders
Dean DeBlois
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Walt Disney Pictures
First collaboration with Chris Sanders
ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films
Nominated — Annie Award for Music in a Feature Production
Also choir arranger and conductor
2002 Stuart Little 2 Rob Minkoff Red Wagon Entertainment
Columbia Pictures
Also conductor
2002 Maid in Manhattan Wayne Wang Hughes Entertainment
Revolution Studios
Columbia Pictures
N/A
2003 Identity James Mangold Konrad Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Also conductor
Replaced Angelo Badalamenti
2003 Stitch! The Movie Tony Craig Bobs Gannaway Walt Disney Pictures with Michael Tavera
2003 Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life Jan de Bont Mutual Film Company
Lawrence Gordon Productions
Paramount Pictures
Also conductor
Replaced Craig Armstrong
2003 Two Soldiers Aaron Schneider N/A Short film
Also conductor
2004 Van Helsing Stephen Sommers Universal Pictures ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films
Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Music
Also conductor
2004 The Polar Express Robert Zemeckis Shangri-La Entertainment
ImageMovers
Playtone
Castle Rock Entertainment
Warner Bros.
Eleventh collaboration with Robert Zemeckis
Also conductor
ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Films
Nominated — Academy Award for Best Original Song
Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Music
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song
Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Original Song
Nominated — World Soundtrack Award for Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film
2006 The Wild Steve "Spaz" Williams C.O.R.E.
Walt Disney Pictures
Also conductor
2006 Night at the Museum Shawn Levy 1492 Pictures
Ingenious Film Partners
21 Laps Entertainment
20th Century Fox
Also conductor
2007 Beowulf Robert Zemeckis Shangri-La Entertainment
ImageMovers
Paramount Pictures (US)
Warner Bros. (International)
Twelfth collaboration with Robert Zemeckis
Nominated — World Soundtrack Award for Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film
Also conductor and orchestrator
2009 Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Shawn Levy Ingenious Film Partners
21 Laps Entertainment
Dune Entertainment
1492 Pictures
20th Century Fox
Also conductor
2009 G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Stephen Sommers Hasbro
Spyglass Entertainment
Paramount Pictures
Also conductor and orchestrator
2009 G.I. Joe: The Invasion of Cobra Island Rupinder Malhotra RM Productions Ltd.
Paramount Pictures
N/A
2009 A Christmas Carol Robert Zemeckis ImageMovers Digital
Walt Disney Pictures
Thirteenth collaboration with Robert Zemeckis
Also lyricist, conductor and orchestrator

2010s

Year Title Director Studio Notes
2010 The A-Team Joe Carnahan Dune Entertainment
Top Cow Productions
Scott Free Productions
20th Century Fox
Also conductor and orchestrator
2011 Captain America: The First Avenger Joe Johnston Marvel Studios
Paramount Pictures
Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Music
BMI Film Music Award
Also conductor and orchestrator
2012 The Avengers Joss Whedon Marvel Studios
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Known as Avengers Assemble in some territories
Also conductor and orchestrator
2012 Flight Robert Zemeckis ImageMovers
Paramount Pictures
Fourteenth collaboration with Robert Zemeckis
2013 The Croods Kirk DeMicco
Chris Sanders
DreamWorks Animation
20th Century Fox
Second collaboration with Chris Sanders
First DreamWorks Animation film to be distributed by 20th Century Fox. Also conductor and orchestrator
2013 RED 2 Dean Parisot DC Entertainment
di Bonaventura Pictures
Summit Entertainment
Lionsgate
2014 Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb Shawn Levy 1492 Pictures
21 Laps Entertainment
TSG Entertainment
20th Century Fox
2015 The Walk Robert Zemeckis ImageMovers
TriStar Pictures
Fifteenth collaboration with Robert Zemeckis
2016 Five Seconds of Silence Robert Zemeckis

Television series

Year Title Channel Notes
1978–1979 Starsky and Hutch
ABC
Episodes: "Deckwatch"
"Starsky's Brother"
"Sweet Revenge"
1978–1983 CHiPs
NBC
95 episodes
1983 Manimal
NBC
1983 T. J. Hooker
ABC - CBS
Episode: "A Child Is Missing"
1986 Amazing Stories
NBC
Episode: "Go to the Head of Class"
1989–1995 Tales from the Crypt
HBO
Episodes: "And All Through the House"
"Abra Cadaver"
"Yellow"
"Beauty Rest"
"House of Horror"
"Till Death Do We Part"
"You, Murderer"
2014 Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey
Fox/National Geographic Channel
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series

References

  1. Meredith May, "Alan Silvestri pairs music with wine", SFGate (June 7, 2013).
  2. ASCAP Henry Mancini Award, ASCAP. Accessed October 21, 2007. Mannhattan-born and Teaneck, New Jersey-bred, Silvestri attended Boston's prestigious Berklee College of Music before joining a Las Vegas band as a guitarist."
  3. Coutros, Evonne. "THE DRUMMER WHOM `GUMP' MARCHES TO", The Record (Bergen County), March 26, 1995. Accessed October 21, 2007. "Nearly three decades after Alan Silvestri drummed out beats for the Teaneck High School band, he's hoping to march to the podium Monday night to collect an Oscar."
  4. "Back to the Future musical announced". BBC News. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  5. "Back to the Future: 80s movie gets musical makeover". theguardian.com. The Guardian. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2014.
  6. "'Great Scott!' Musical version of Back To The Future set to open in London's West End in 2015". dailymail.co.uk. Daily Mail. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  7. "Back to the Future musical set for West End in 2015". whatsonstage.com. Whats On Stage. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
  8. Home at the Wayback Machine (archived February 20, 2012). Silvestrivineyards.com. Retrieved on 2012-05-02.
  9. TribLIVE: #(gSection.name)#. Pittsburghlive.com (2012-01-05). Retrieved on 2012-05-02.

External links

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