Jonathan Tunick
American orchestrator, musical director, and composer,
Jonathan Tunick is an American orchestrator , musical director , and composer . He is best known for orchestrating the works of Stephen Sondheim , their collaboration starting in 1970 with Company and continuing until Sondheim's death in 2021.
Early life and education
Jonathan Tunick graduated from Hunter College Elementary School, and the LaGuardia Performing Arts High School , and holds degrees from Bard College and the Juilliard School .[ 1]
Career
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 "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's band, "Broadway Moonlighters", played in 2008 with Barbara Cook as special guest,[ 5] and played at Birdland jazz club in March 2012. [ 2] He has also worked as an arranger and/or conductor on recordings with Judy Collins , Kiri Te Kanawa , Brian Asawa , Sir Neville Mariner , Itzhak Perlman , Plácido Domingo , Johnny Mathis , Barbra Streisand , Paul McCartney , and Bernadette Peters .[ 6]
Recognition and awards
In his review of the Bernadette Peters recording Bernadette Peters Loves Rodgers and Hammerstein (2002), John Kenrick wrote: "Jonathan Tunick provides the brilliant arrangements."[ 7]
He has won all four major American show business awards: the Emmy , Grammy, Oscar , and Tony , making him an EGOT .[ 8] [ 9] In 1978, Tunick won an Oscar for A Little Night Music (Best Music, Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Best Adaptation Score).[ 9] In 1982, he won an Emmy for his work on the variety television special Night of 100 Stars (Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction),[ 9] and in 1988, he won a Grammy Award for his work on No One Is Alone (Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals),[ 9] and in 1997, he won the first Tony Award for Best Orchestrations for the musical Titanic .[ 10]
He has also won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations four times and won a Drama Desk Special Award in 1982.[ 11] Tunick was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in January 2009.[ 12]
Personal life
Tunick is married to actress Leigh Beery[ 1] (also known as "Lee Beery"), who appeared in the television soap opera Dark Shadows in 1971.[ 13]
Work
Stage
Sources - AllMusic;[ 14] Internet Broadway Database[ 15]
Filmography
Sources - AllMusic;[ 14] Internet Movie Database[ 27]
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[ 28]
Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories - 1985 - (television) - series composer, conductor
The B.R.A.T. Patrol - 1986 - (television) - composer, conductor[ 29]
American Masters - 1986 - (television) - composer (theme only)
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[ 30]
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
Into the Woods - 2014 - orchestrator
Beauty and the Beast - 2017 - orchestrator
Awards and nominations
See also
References
^ a b Rothstein, Mervyn. "A Life in the Theatre: Orchestrator, Composer and Music Director Jonathan Tunick" Archived 2013-11-26 at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, September 16, 2005
^ a b Gans, Andrew. "Tony-Winning Orchestrator Jonathan Tunick Plays Birdland March 19; Rebecca Faulkenberry Is Special Guest" , playbill.com, March 19, 2012.
^ Jonathan Tunick biography , sondheimguide.com; accessed April 17, 2012.
^ Sharbutt, Jay (May 23, 1982). "Musical Arrangers, Men Behind The Song Hits" . The Journal News . Associated Press. p. G8.
^ Gans, Andrew (November 11, 2008). "Tony Winner Cook Will Join Tunick at Birdland Nov. 24" . Playbill . Archived from the original on September 6, 2012.
^ Jonathan Tunick profile goodmantheatre.org, June 2003; accessed April 17, 2012
^ Kenrick, John. "Solo CD's. Bernadette Peters" Musicals101.com; accessed April 18, 2012
^ King, Darryn (January 10, 2024). "The EGOT Winner Behind Sondheim's Signature Sound" . The New York Times .
^ a b c d Gans, Andrew (July 7, 2023). "How 2 Phone Calls Changed the Life of Frequent Sondheim Orchestrator Jonathan Tunick" . Playbill .
^ Kuchwara, Michael (June 2, 1997). "Revival rakes in the awards; Tony taps 'Chicago' ". Chicago Sun-Times . p. 25.
^ "Jonathan Tunick Orchestrator, Musical Coordinator" . Playbill .
^ Gans, Andrew. (January 26, 2009) "Theater Hall of Fame Ceremony Presented Jan. 26; Ivey Hosts" Playbill
^ "Leigh Beery Film and TV" imdb.com; accessed October 10, 2015
^ a b "Jonathan Tunick Credits" allmusic.com, accessed April 17, 2012
^ Jonathan Tunick Listing" , Internet Broadway Database; accessed April 17, 2012.
^ Hischak, Thomas S. "Chapter Two, A New Arena:The 1950s" Off-Broadway Musicals Since 1919 (2011), (books.google.com), Scarecrow Press, Inc., ISBN 978-0-8108-7771-9 , p. 43
^ " 'All in Love' Listing" Archived 2012-10-21 at the Wayback Machine Internet Off-Broadway Database, accessed April 17, 2012
^ " 'Sondheim: A Musical Tribute'" Archived 2011-11-07 at the Wayback Machine , SondheimGuide.com; accessed April 17, 2012
^ " 'Smith' Listing" , Internet Broadway database; accessed April 17, 2012
^ " 'Phantom' Cast Album Listing" castalbumdb.com, accessed April 17, 2012
^ Brantley, Ben. "Theater Review; Both a Sendup and an Embrace, Based on Bergman Again" The New York Times , December 19, 1994
^ Evans, Greg. "Patti Lupone on Broadway" Variety , October 12, 1995
^ " 'Minnelli on Minnelli' Listing" Internet Broadway Database, accessed April 17, 2012
^ " 'Road Show'" Archived 2012-10-20 at the Wayback Machine Internet Off-Broadway database, accessed April 18, 2012
^ Murray, Matthew. "Theatre Review. 'Bounce' " talkinbroadway.com, November 2, 2003, accessed April 18, 2012
^ Eadie, Bill."Regional Reviews. 'Some Lovers', Old Globe" talkinbroadway.com, December 10, 2011
^ "Jonathan Tunick Listing" Internet Movie Database, accessed April 17, 2012
^ "Cast and Crew, 'Brotherly Love'" fandango.com, assessed April 18, 2012
^ " 'The B.R.A.T Patrol' Cast and Crew" movies.amctv.com, accessed April 18, 2012
^ "Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall" Archived 2011-11-07 at the Wayback Machine sondheimguide.com, accessed April 18, 2012
^ "The 50th Academy Awards (1978) Nominees and Winners" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . Retrieved October 5, 2011 .
^ "Nominees and Recipients – 1982 Awards" . Drama Desk Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "Nominees and Recipients – 1984 Awards" . Drama Desk Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "Nominees and Recipients – 1988 Awards" . Drama Desk Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "Nominees and Recipients – 1994 Awards" . Drama Desk Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "Nominees and Recipients – 1997 Awards" . Drama Desk Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "Nominees and Recipients – 1999 Awards" . Drama Desk Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "Nominees and Recipients – 2000 Awards" . Drama Desk Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "Nominees and Recipients – 2001 Awards" . Drama Desk Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "Nominees and Recipients – 2002 Awards" . Drama Desk Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "Nominees and Recipients – 2007 Awards" . Drama Desk Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "Nominees and Recipients – 2008 Awards" . Drama Desk Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "Nominees and Recipients – 2014 Awards" . Drama Desk Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "Nominees and Recipients – 2018 Awards" . Drama Desk Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "Nominees and Recipients – 2020 Awards" . Drama Desk Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "Jonathan Tunick" . Grammy Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "Jonathan Tunick" . Academy of Television Arts & Sciences . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "1997 Tony Awards" . Tony Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "2000 Tony Awards" . Tony Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "2001 Tony Awards" . Tony Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "2003 Tony Awards" . Tony Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "2005 Tony Awards" . Tony Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "2007 Tony Awards" . Tony Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "2008 Tony Awards" . Tony Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "2010 Tony Awards" . Tony Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "2014 Tony Awards" . Tony Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ "2018 Tony Awards" . Tony Awards . Retrieved September 6, 2023 .
^ Sherman, Rachel (April 30, 2024). "Tony Awards Nominations 2024: The Complete List" . The New York Times . ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved May 1, 2024 .
External links
Awards for Jonathan Tunick
1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
1970s 1980s
Ian Fraser (1980)
Ian Fraser , Chris Boardman, Billy Byers , and Bob Florence (1981)
Bill Elton, Elliot Lawrence , Lanny Meyers , Tommy Newsom , Jonathan Tunick , and Torrie Zito (1982)
Dick Hyman (1983)
Ian Fraser , Chris Boardman, Billy Byers , J. Hill , and Lenny Stack (1984)
Ian Fraser , Billy Byers , and Angela Morley (1985)
Elliot Lawrence , James Lawrence, Lanny Meyers , Tommy Newsom , Glen Roven , Larry Schwartz, and Torrie Zito (1986)
Buster Davis, Don Pippin , and Eric Stern (1987)
Ian Fraser , Chris Boardman, Alexander Courage , and Angela Morley (1988)
Ian Fraser , Chris Boardman, and J. Hill (1989)
1990s
Ian Fraser , Billy Byers , Chris Boardman, Bob Florence , J. Hill , and Angela Morley (1990)
Ian Fraser , Billy Byers , Chris Boardman, and J. Hill (1991)
Bill Conti , Jack Eskew , Julie Giroux , Ashley Irwin, and Hummie Mann (1992)
Ian Fraser (1993)
Michael Rafter (1994)
Marvin Hamlisch (1995)
Glen Roven (1996)
Mark Watters (1997)
Bill Conti (1998)
Mark Adler (1999)
2000s 2010s 2020s
listed by duration and year of completion
Competitive EGOTs Honorary recipients
International National Academics Artists Other