Bernardo Segall (August 4, 1911 – November 26, 1993) was a

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

ian-born American composer and

concert pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

Life

Bernardo Segall made his professional debut as a pianist at age 9 in his native

Campinas Campinas (, ''Plains'' or ''Meadows'') is a Brazilian municipality in São Paulo State, part of the country's Southeast Region. According to the 2020 estimate, the city's population is 1,213,792, making it the fourteenth most populous Brazilian ...

. At Age 16 he traveled to the United States, where he studied with Alexander Siloti and, at 21, made his American debut at New York's Town Hall, later performing in orchestras such as the

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...

. Segall also had an uncle who was a well-known painter in Brazil,

Lasar Segall Lasar Segall (July 21, 1889 – August 2, 1957) was a Lithuanian Jewish and Brazilian painter, engraver and sculptor. Segall's work is derived from impressionism, expressionism and modernism. His most significant themes were depictions of hu ...

. In addition to performing as a concert pianist, Bernardo Segall also maintained an additional career as a composer for theater, ballet, film and television. Segal was married to dancer and choreographer

Valerie Bettis Valerie Elizabeth Bettis (December 1919 – 26 September 1982) was an American modern dancer and choreographer. She found success in musical theatre, ballet, and as a solo dancer. Biography Valerie Bettis was born on either December 19 or Dec ...

for 12 years, and he composed many pieces that she danced in. He scored films such as '' The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery'' starring Steve McQueen, '' The Luck of Ginger Coffey'' and ''

Custer of the West ''Custer of the West'' is a 1967 American Western film directed by Robert Siodmak that presents a highly fictionalised version of the life and death of George Armstrong Custer, starring Robert Shaw as Custer, Robert Ryan, Ty Hardin, Jeffrey Hu ...

'', and wrote music for TV series including '' Columbo'', ''

Airwolf ''Airwolf'' is an American action military drama television series that centers on a high-technology military helicopter, code-named ''Airwolf'', and its crew. The show follows them as they undertake various exotic missions, many involving e ...

'' and the 1976 documentary '' To Fly!''. Segall died in 1993.

Selected filmography

*'' The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery'' (1959) *'' The Luck of Ginger Coffey'' (1964) *''

Hallucination Generation ''Hallucination Generation'' is a 1967 film by Edward Mann. Purportedly intended as a warning against the dangers of pill-popping Sixties hedonism along the lines of 1936's ''Reefer Madness'', the film's primary purpose appears to have been tit ...

'' (1967) *''

'' (1967) *'' Loving'' (1970) *'' Night Slaves'' (1970) *'' The Garden of Aunt Isabel'' (1971) *'' Moon of the Wolf'' (1972) *'' The Girl Most Likely to...'' (1973) *'' Homebodies'' (1974)

External links

*
Bernardo Segall LA Times Obituary

References

People from Campinas 1911 births 1993 deaths Brazilian emigrants to the United States Brazilian film score composers Brazilian composers American male composers 20th-century American composers 20th-century American pianists American male pianists 20th-century American male musicians Jewish classical pianists {{Brazil-musician-stub