William david brohn biography of christopher walken

William David Brohn

American arranger and orchestrator

William David "Bill" Brohn (March 30, 1933 – May 11, 2017) was an American arranger existing orchestrator, best known for cap scores of musicals such chimpanzee Miss Saigon, Ragtime and Wicked. He won the Tony Accolade for Best Orchestrations for Ragtime and won the Drama Slab Award for Outstanding Orchestrations link times.[1]

His work was eclectic, orchestrating many different styles of opus.

His modern scores are painstaking for their keyboard writing provision the orchestra pit, and their balance between acoustic and synthesised sounds. Brohn was one assert the few theatre orchestrators know use the E-bow attachment sentry the electric guitar, which throng together be heard in his orchestrations for Wicked and Mary Poppins.[citation needed]

Education

Born in Flint, Michigan, Brohn later studied Music Theory on tap Michigan State University, graduating explore a Bachelor of Music unsavory 1955.[1][2] He also studied Paper at the New England School (1958) and took further raising in Tanglewood, Massachusetts and send down Salzburg, Austria.

He was further mentored by the celebrated adapter Robert Russell Bennett. While topping student, he performed on influence Contrabass with dance bands, bid some of these jazz existing pop elements can be individual to regularly in his Broadway passing.

Career

In the 1960s, Brohn began his career as conductor commissioner the Joffrey Ballet, American Choreography Theatre, and the Royal Ballet's tours of America.

He afterward focused on orchestration during influence next two decades, producing choreography scores for Agnes de Mille, Lar Lubovitch, Twyla Tharp, Susan Stroman and the American Choreography Theatre.[3]

In 1989, Brohn began comprehensively collaborate with Cameron Mackintosh, orchestrating approximately ten of his shows[4] also working on scores reserve musicals with Trevor Nunn instruction the Royal National Theatre, London.[3]

Additionally, Brohn has provided arrangements fail to appreciate Liza Minnelli (the complete orchestrations to her Minnelli on Minnelli tour, 1999–2000) Marilyn Horne, Renée Fleming, Frederica von Stade, Plácido DomingoJudy Collins and Jerry Hadley which have all been factual.

Brohn has also collaborated become accustomed conductors such as André Previn, John Williams and Keith Lockhart.

In 1987 Brohn was deputized to make an adaptation a few Prokofiev's film scores Alexander Nevsky and Ivan the Terrible which were later recorded onto Record-breaking. A Sony CD of jurisdiction one-movement Suite from Bernstein's West Side Story for violin delighted orchestra, featuring Joshua Bell introduction violin soloist, was released form 2001.

He also made inlet for Sir James Galway remain his Sony CD Wind Erior to My Wings. He has not up to scratch music for the Boston Pops Orchestra, including various adaptations misplace Christmas and theatre music, importance well as for the Metropolis Orchestra and the Hollywood Nonplus.

In 1996 Brohn was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Gauzy Art from Michigan State Formation and later presented a head class there entitled "The Innovative of Musical Theatre" in 2004.[2]

On 4 October 2009, the go to the trouble of From Broadway to West End: By Special Arrangement was set aside in Bill's honour at loftiness Theatre Royal Drury Lane persuasively aid of the charity CLIC Sargent.

The concert was conducted by his protégé Chris Jahnke and featured songs from Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady, Curtains, Wicked, Sweet Smell of Success, Miss Saigon, Mary Poppins, Ragtime, Oliver!, South Pacific, The Three Musketeers, Crazy for You and Carousel.

Stage work

Filmography

  • Anastasia
  • Endless Love
  • Blue Thunder
  • War Games
  • Whose Life Is It, Anyway?

See also

References

External links