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Henry ManciniAmerican composer, conductor and arranger
Date of Birth: 16.04.1924
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini was an American composer, conductor, and arranger. He is best known for his music from "The Pink Panther," which is recognized even by those who have never seen the original movies. However, this iconic melody is not the only hit by the American composer. Throughout his life, Mancini wrote numerous memorable masterpieces and chart-topping songs.
Early Life
Enrico Nicola "Henry" Mancini was born in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, and grew up near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His parents immigrated to the United States from Italy. Mancini's father was a steelworker who actively encouraged his son's passion for music. At the age of 8, Henry started playing the piccolo flute, and by the age of 12, he began playing the piano.
Early Career
After graduating from school, Mancini briefly attended the prestigious Juilliard School of Music in New York City. However, his studies were interrupted when he was drafted into the Army. In 1945, he participated in the liberation of at least one concentration camp in southern Germany. Soon after being discharged, Mancini pursued music professionally.
In 1946, he became a pianist and arranger for Glenn Miller's orchestra. During this time, he also studied composition, orchestration, counterpoint, and harmony. In 1952, Mancini secured a position in the music department at Universal Pictures. Over the next six years, he worked on a significant number of films, including "The Creature from the Black Lagoon," "It Came from Outer Space," "Tarantula," "This Island Earth," and "The Glenn Miller Story." It was his work on the last film that earned Mancini his first Oscar nomination.
Collaboration with Blake Edwards
In 1958, Mancini left Universal Pictures to pursue a solo career. Shortly afterward, he was approached to work on the television series "Peter Gunn," which became one of his most well-known projects and his first collaboration with screenwriter and producer Blake Edwards. Over the next 35 years, Edwards and Mancini collaborated on 30 different film projects. It was during their partnership that Mancini composed music for classics such as "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Days of Wine and Roses," and "The Pink Panther." Mancini's compositions significantly influenced the popular "easy listening" style of the 1960s-1980s. He worked with renowned musical ensembles of the time, which led to the creation of many hit songs.
Legacy
Mancini recorded over 90 albums throughout his career, ranging in styles from light classical to pop and big band. His 20-year contract with RCA Records resulted in 60 commercial albums that brought him worldwide fame. Mancini also performed in concerts, averaging over 50 performances per year. He conducted more than 600 symphonic concerts, working with leading orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
On June 14, 1994, Henry Mancini passed away from pancreatic cancer. At the time of his death, he was working on a Broadway version of "Victor/Victoria," which unfortunately never made it to the stage. Mancini was survived by his wife of 43 years, singer Virginia O'Connor, and their three children. One of their daughters, Monica Mancini, followed in her father's footsteps and became a professional singer, while her brother Christopher works as a music publisher in Los Angeles.
