Who is Henry Mancini?

A Brief Biography of Henry Mancini

Enrico Nicola Mancini : April 16, 1924 - June 14, 1994

Professional name - Henry Mancini

American composer, conductor, and arranger

Best remembered for film and television scores

Early Background -

Attended the Julliard School of Music in 1942

Drafted into the military in 1943

Early Career -

Joined the Universal Pictures music department in 1952

- Contributed to over 100 films - 

Creature from the Black Lagoon

The Creature Walks Among Us

It Came from Outer Space

The Glenn Miller Story (first Academy Award nomination)

The Benny Goodman Story

Touch of Evil

Left Universal in 1958

Independent Career -

- Scored the television series, Peter Gunn

- Collaborated with writer/producer Blake Edwards

- Mancini scores for Edwards include -

Breakfast at Tiffany's ("Moon River")

Days of Wine and Roses ("Days of Wine and Roses")

Experiment in Terror...The Pink Panther (and all sequels)...The Great Race...ETC

- Collaborated with director Stanley Donen

- Mancini-Donen collaboration -

Charade...Arabesque...Two for the Road

- Mancini worked with other film directors as well over the years

- Mancini scored several television movies and television themes

- Mancini composed the theme to NBC Nightly News 

- Mancini composed Salute to the President for NBC News during election coverage (primaries, conventions) from 1976 to 1992

Overall -

Recorded over 90 albums

Genres - Big Band, Light Classical, Pop

8 albums were certified Gold by the RIAA

20-year contract with RCA Victor - 60 commercial record albums

Concert performer - 600+ symphony performances in Mancini's lifetime

Symphonies conducted -

- London Symphony Orchestra

- Israel Philharmonic

- Boston Pops

- Los Angeles Philharmonic

- Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

- Minnesota Orchestra (Mancini favorite)

- Command Performances for the British Royal Family (1966, 1980, 1984)

Critical Acclaim -

- 72 Grammy Award nominations

- 20 Grammy Award wins

- 18 Academy Award nominations

- 4 Academy Award wins

- Golden Globe Award win

- 2 Emmy Award nominations

- 1961 -

2 Academy Award wins 

"Moon River" (Best Original Song)

Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (Breakfast at Tiffany's)

- 1962 -

1 Academy Award win

"Days of Wine and Roses" (Best Original Song)

- 1982 -

1 Academy Award win

Best Original Score (for the film Victor/Victoria)

(Source - Wikipedia)

My take away -

I will always know Henry Mancini for his composition of Charade and the original version of The Pink Panther.  When I listen to Henry Mancini's Charade score, I find the pace to be ahead of its time and in fact timeless - as a Mancini fan, I could listen to the score over and over again and we are well into the 21st Century. 

Who is Henry Mancini?

A gifted talent with lasting legacy.