Thomas Newman
1955 - present
Life and Music
• Thomas Newman has composed soundtracks for more than 50 films, for which he has received a total of 10 Academy Award nominations, though he has not yet won the award.
• Born in Los Angeles, Newman attended the University of Southern California for two years, before moving to Yale, where he gained a Master’s in Music.
• Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim was deeply impressed with Newman’s originality and championed one of his earliest works, the music theatre piece Three Mean Fairy Tales.
• In the first few years following his graduation, Newman played in several bands, including rock group The Innocents and improvisational group Tokyo 77.
• Thomas Newman continues a movie music composition tradition begun by his father Alfred Newman and uncle Lionel Newman.
• Newman’s breakthrough score was Desperately Seeking Susan, starring Madonna.
• Most of Newman’s early scores were composed for synthesisers, but he gradually began to combine electronic and acoustic instruments.
• As well as film music, Newman has composed music for television, including the series Boston Public and Six Feet Under.
• He has also fulfilled diverse commissions, including writing a work for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Kronos Quartet, which was premiered in December last year.
Did you know?
The singer-songwriter Randy Newman is Thomas Newman’s cousin.
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