Jonathan Tunick (born April 19, 1938,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

) is an American orchestrator, musical director, and composer, and one of seventeen " EGOTs" - people to have won all four major American showbusiness awards: the

Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

, Emmy Awards and Grammy Awards. He is best known for orchestrating the works of Stephen Sondheim, their collaboration starting in 1970 with '' Company'' and continuing until Sondheim's death in 2021.

Biography

He graduated from Hunter College Elementary School, the LaGuardia Performing Arts High School, and holds degrees from

Bard College Bard College is a private liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The campus overlooks the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains, and is within the Hudson River Historic District—a National Historic Landmark. Founded in 1860, ...

and the

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most elit ...

.Rothstein, Mervyn
"A Life in the Theatre: Orchestrator, Composer and Music Director Jonathan Tunick"
playbill.com, September 16, 2005 Tunick's principal instrument is the clarinet.Gans, Andrew
"Tony-Winning Orchestrator Jonathan Tunick Plays Birdland March 19; Rebecca Faulkenberry Is Special Guest"
playbill.com, March 19, 2012. Much of his work has arisen from his involvement in theatre, and he is associated especially with the musicals of Stephen Sondheim. Sondheim said of Tunick's work: "'I think he's tops'..." and further noted that "Tunick is a standout in his field not only because of his musicianship and imagination, but primarily because of 'his great sensitivity to theatrical atmosphere'". Tunick also has a band, the "Broadway Moonlighters", which played at Birdland in March 2012 and in 2008 with

Barbara Cook Barbara Cook (October 25, 1927 – August 8, 2017) was an American actress and singer who first came to prominence in the 1950s as the lead in the original Broadway musicals '' Plain and Fancy'' (1955), ''Candide'' (1956) and ''The Music Man'' ( ...

as his special guest. He has worked as an arranger and/or conductor on recordings with Judy Collins, Kiri Te Kanawa,

Brian Asawa Brian Asawa (October 1, 1966 – April 18, 2016) was a Japanese American opera singer who sang as a countertenor. About Asawa, ''Opera News'' stated: "In his prime, Asawa was an electric performer, his fearless performing style supported by a voice ...

, Sir Neville Mariner, Itzhak Perlman,

Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French ...

, Johnny Mathis,

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

, and

Bernadette Peters Bernadette Peters ( ''née'' Lazzara; born February 28, 1948) is an American actress, singer, and children's book author. Over a career spanning more than six decades, she has starred in musical theatre, television and film, performed in solo co ...

. In his review of the

recording ''Bernadette Peters Loves Rodgers and Hammerstein'' (Angel Records, 2002), John Kenrick wrote: "Jonathan Tunick provides the brilliant arrangements." Tunick won the Grammy Award as "Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)/Best Background Arrangement" for his work on the song "No One Is Alone" from the Cleo Laine album ''Cleo Laine Sings Sondheim'' (RCA Victor, 1987). Tunick won the first

Tony Award for Best Orchestrations The Tony Award for Best Orchestrations is awarded to acknowledge the contributions of musical orchestrators in both musicals and plays. The award has been given since 1997. Winners and nominees 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s Award records Mult ...

that was awarded, in 1997, for ''

Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, Unit ...

''.Jonathan Tunick biography
sondheimguide.com; accessed April 17, 2012. In addition to the other awards, he has won the

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in the theatre among Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions. This category was eliminated with the 2011� ...

three times and won a

Drama Desk Special Award The Drama Desk Special Award is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements by an individual or an organization that has made a significant contribution to the theatre among Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway ...

in 1982. Tunick was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in January 2009.

Personal life

Tunick is married to actress Leigh Beery (also known as "Lee Beery"), who appeared in the television soap opera ''

Dark Shadows ''Dark Shadows'' is an American gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulations of the wealthy Collins family of Collinspo ...

'' in 1971.

Work

Stage

;Sources - AllMusic; Internet Broadway DatabaseJonathan Tunick Listing"
Internet Broadway Database; accessed April 17, 2012. *''Take Five'' (composer: "Gristedes," "The Pro Musica Antiqua")(

Julius Monk Julius Withers Monk (10 Nov 1912, Spencer, North Carolina – 17 Aug 1995, New York City, New York) was an American impresario in the New York cabaret scene. His 1956 revue, ''Four Below'', has been characterized as "the first legitimate cafe re ...

Revue) - 1957 *''

From A to Z ''From A to Z'' is a musical revue with a book by Woody Allen, Herbert Farjeon, and Nina Warner Hook and songs by Jerry Herman, Fred Ebb, Mary Rodgers, Everett Sloane, Jay Thompson, Dickson Hughes, Jack Holmes, Paul Klein, Norman Martin, William Dy ...

'' - 1960 *''All in Love'' - 1961 *'' Promises, Promises'' - 1968 *''

Here's Where I Belong ''Here's Where I Belong'' is a musical with a book by Alex Gordon and Terrence McNally, lyrics by Alfred Uhry, and music by Robert Waldman. The musical closed after one performance on Broadway. Background Based on John Steinbeck's novel '' East o ...

'' - 1968 *''

Dames at Sea ''Dames at Sea'' is a 1966 musical with book and lyrics by George Haimsohn and Robin Miller and music by Jim Wise. The musical is a parody of large, flashy 1930s Busby Berkeley-style movie musicals in which a chorus girl, newly arrived off the ...

'' - 1969 *'' Company'' - 1970 *'' The Grass Harp'' - 1971 *''

Follies ''Follies'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman. The plot takes place in a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on the ''Ziegfeld Fol ...

'' - 1971 *''

MASS Mass is an intrinsic property of a body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the quantity of matter in a physical body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physics. It was found that different atoms and different eleme ...

'' - 1971 *''The Selling of the President'' - 1972 *''Sondheim: A Musical Tribute'' - Concert - 1973 *''

A Little Night Music ''A Little Night Music'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler. Inspired by the 1955 Ingmar Bergman film ''Smiles of a Summer Night'', it involves the romantic lives of several couples. Its title is a ...

'' - 1973 *''Smith'' - 1973 *''

A Chorus Line ''A Chorus Line'' is a 1975 musical with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante. Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater, the musical is centered on seventeen Broadway dancers ...

'' - 1975 ("Opening," "Nothing," "At The Ballet," "...And," "What I Did For Love") *''

Goodtime Charley ''Goodtime Charley'' is a musical with a book by Sidney Michaels, music by Larry Grossman, and lyrics by Hal Hackady. A humorous take on actual historical events, it focuses on the Dauphin of France, who evolves from a hedonistic young man e ...

'' - 1975 *''

The Frogs ''The Frogs'' ( grc-gre, Βάτραχοι, Bátrakhoi, Frogs; la, Ranae, often abbreviated ''Ran.'' or ''Ra.'') is a comedy written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. It was performed at the Lenaia, one of the Festivals of Dionysus in ...

'' - 1975 *''

Pacific Overtures ''Pacific Overtures'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by John Weidman, with "additional material by" Hugh Wheeler. Set in 19th-century Japan, it tells the story of the country's westernization starting in 185 ...

'' - 1976 *'' Ballroom'' - 1978 *''

Sweeney Todd Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the villain of the penny dreadful serial '' The String of Pearls'' (1846–47). The original tale became a feature of 19th-century melodrama and London legend. A barber from Fleet Stre ...

'' - 1979 *'' Merrily We Roll Along'' - 1981 *''

Nine 9 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 9 or nine may also refer to: Dates * AD 9, the ninth year of the AD era * 9 BC, the ninth year before the AD era * 9, numerical symbol for the month of September Places * Nine, Portugal, a parish in the ...

'' - (musical supervisor and orchestrations) 1982 *'' Alice in Wonderland'' - (musical supervisor) 1982 *''

Baby An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used to ...

'' - 1983 *'' Dance a Little Closer'' - 1983 *''

The Wind in the Willows ''The Wind in the Willows'' is a children's novel by the British novelist Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. It details the story of Mole, Ratty, and Badger as they try to help Mr. Toad, after he becomes obsessed with motorcars and get ...

'' - (musical supervisor) 1985 *''

Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1987 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...

'' - 1987 *'' Nick & Nora'' - 1991 *'' Phantom'' - 1992 *''

A Grand Night for Singing ''A Grand Night for Singing'' is a musical revue showcasing the music of Richard Rodgers and the lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein II. Featuring songs from such lesser-known works as '' Allegro'', '' Me and Juliet'', ''State Fair'', and ''Pipe Dream'', ...

'' - 1993 *'' Company'' (re-orchestrated) - 1993 *''

'' (re-orchestrated) - 1993 *'' Passion'' - 1994 *''The Petrified Prince'' -

Public Theater The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American ...

1994 *''Patti LuPone on Broadway'' -

Walter Kerr Theatre The Walter Kerr Theatre, previously the Ritz Theatre, is a Broadway theater at 219 West 48th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The theater was designed by Herbert J. Krapp and was constructed for the Shube ...

Concert 1995 *'' Company'' - 1995 *'' A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' (re-orchestrated; originals by Sid Ramin and Irwin Kostal) - 1996 *'' Martin Guerre'' - 1996 *''

'' - 1997 *''

'' - 1997 *'' Saturday Night'' - 1999 *''Minnelli on Minnelli'' - (orchestrations) Palace Theatre Concerts 1999 *''

Marie Christine ''Marie Christine'' is a musical with music, lyrics, and book by Michael John LaChiusa. It opened on Broadway in 1999. Set in 1890s New Orleans and then 5 years later in Chicago; the story is loosely based on the Greek play ''Medea'', and uses ...

'' - 1999 *'' Putting It Together'' - 1999 *''

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

'' - 2000 *''

'' (re-orchestrated) - 2001 *''

'' (re-orchestrated) - 2002 *'' Elaine Stritch At Liberty'' - 2001 *''

'' - (re-orchestrated) 2003 *''

110 in the Shade ''110 in the Shade'' is a musical with a book by N. Richard Nash, lyrics by Tom Jones, and music by Harvey Schmidt. Based on Nash's 1954 play '' The Rainmaker'', it focuses on Lizzie Curry, a spinster living on a ranch in the American southwest, ...

'' (re-orchestrated from Hershy Kay's originals) - 2003 *''

'' (re-orchestrated & expanded) - 2004 *''

'' - (re-orchestrated) 2004 *''

The Color Purple ''The Color Purple'' is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker which won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction.

'' - 2005 *''

'' - (re-orchestrated) 2006 *''

The Apple Tree ''The Apple Tree'' is a series of three musical playlets with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and a book by Bock and Harnick with contributions from Jerome Coopersmith. Each act has its own storyline, but all three are tied toge ...

'' - (re-orchestrated from Eddie Sauter's originals) 2006 *''

'' - (re-orchestrated from Hershy Kay's originals) 2007 *'' Lovemusik'' - 2007 *'' A Catered Affair'' - 2008 *'' Road Show'' - 2008 and 2003 *'' The Story of My Life'' - 2009 *''

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of Claremore, Indian Territory, in 1906, it tell ...

'' - (re-orchestrated from Robert Russell Bennett's originals) 2009 *''

Bye Bye Birdie ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is a stage musical with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams, based upon a book by Michael Stewart. Originally titled ''Let's Go Steady'', ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is set in 1958. The short story "Dream Man", authored ...

'' - (re-orchestrated from Robert Ginzler's originals) 2009 *'' Paradise Found'' - 2010 *''Some Lovers'' -

Old Globe Theatre The Old Globe is a professional theatre company located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California. It produces about 15 plays and musicals annually in summer and winter seasons. Plays are performed in three separate theatres in the complex, which i ...

2011 *''

'' (re-orchestrated) - 2012 *'' Passion'' (re-orchestrated) - 2013 *'' A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder'' - 2013 *''Waterfall'' -

Pasadena Playhouse The Pasadena Playhouse is a historic performing arts venue located 39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena, California, United States. The 686-seat auditorium produces a variety of cultural and artistic events, professional shows, and community engage ...

2015 *''

'' (re-orchestrated) - 2015 *'' Cabin in the Sky'' - Encores! 2016 *'' Carousel'' - (re-orchestrated from Don Walker's originals) 2018

Filmography

;Sources - AllMusic;"Jonathan Tunick Credits"
allmusic.com, accessed April 17, 2012 Internet Movie Database *''

The Twelve Chairs ''The Twelve Chairs'' ( rus, Двенадцать стульев, Dvenadtsat stulyev) is a classic satirical novel by the Odesan Soviet authors Ilf and Petrov, published in 1928. Its plot follows characters attempting to obtain jewelry hidden ...

'' - 1970 - musical director, orchestrator *'' Blazing Saddles'' - 1974 - orchestrator *''

Young Frankenstein ''Young Frankenstein'' is a 1974 American comedy horror film directed by Mel Brooks. The screenplay was co-written by Brooks and Gene Wilder. Wilder also starred in the lead role as the title character, a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor ...

'' - 1974 - orchestrator *''

The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother ''The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother'' is a 1975 American musical comedy film with Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Dom DeLuise, Roy Kinnear, and Leo McKern.''Variety'' film review; December 3, 1975, page 22. The film was ...

'' - 1975 - orchestrator *''

'' - 1977 - composer orchestrator, conductor (winner,

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

) *'' Columbo: Murder Under Glass'' - 1978 - (television) - composer, conductor *'' Flying High'' - 1978 - (television) - composer, conductor *''3 by Cheever'': "O Youth and Beauty", "The Sorrows of Gin" and '' 3 by Cheever: The 5:48'' - 1979 - (television) - composer, conductor *''Rendezvous Hotel'' - 1979 - (television) - composer, conductor *''Swan Song'' - 1980 - (television) - composer, conductor *''

Blinded by the Light "Blinded by the Light" is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, a which first appeared on his 1973 debut album ''Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.'' A cover by British rock band Manfred Mann's Earth Band reached number one on the ...

'' - 1980 - (television) - composer, conductor *'' The Jilting of Granny Weatherall'' - 1980 - (television) - composer, conductor *'' Fort Apache the Bronx'' - 1981 - composer, conductor *'' Endless Love'' - 1981 - composer, conductor *''

Reds Reds may refer to: General * Red (political adjective), supporters of Communism or socialism * Reds (January Uprising), a faction of the Polish insurrectionists during the January Uprising in 1863 * USSR (or, to a lesser extent, China) during th ...

'' - 1981 - orchestrator *''The Shady Hill Kidnapping'' - 1982 - (television) - composer, conductor *''Night of 100 Stars'' - 1982 - (television) - music arranger *''

'' - 1982 - (television) - orchestrator *'' Alice in Wonderland'' - 1983 - (television) - composer, conductor *'' I Am the Cheese'' - 1983 - composer, conductor *'' Murder, She Wrote'' - 1984 - (television) - series composer, conductor *''

Concealed Enemies ''Concealed Enemies'' is a 1984 American PBS docudrama, produced by WGBH-TV in Boston, about the events leading to the arrest, conviction and imprisonment of former U.S. State Department official Alger Hiss. Directed by Jeff Bleckner, written by Hu ...

'' - 1984 - (television) - composer, conductor *''Brotherly Love'' - 1985 - (television) - composer, conductor *'' Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories'' - 1985 - (television) - series composer, conductor *''The B.R.A.T. Patrol'' - 1986 - (television) - composer, conductor *''

American Masters ''American Masters'' is a PBS television series which produces biographies on enduring writers, musicians, visual and performing artists, dramatists, filmmakers, and those who have left an indelible impression on the cultural landscape of the ...

'' - 1986 - (television) - composer (theme only) *'' You Ruined My Life'' - 1987 - (television) - composer, conductor *''

'' - 1991 - (television) - orchestrator *''Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall'' - 1993 (televised) (concert in 1992) - (television) - orchestrator *'' The Last Good Time'' - 1994 - composer, conductor *''

The Birdcage ''The Birdcage'' is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Mike Nichols, adapted by Elaine May, and starring Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, and Dianne Wiest. Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, Hank Azaria, and Christine Baranski appear ...

'' - 1996 - music arranger and adapter, composer, conductor *'' Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh'' - 1998 - (television) - orchestrator *''

The Fantasticks ''The Fantasticks'' is a 1960 musical with music by Harvey Schmidt and book and lyrics by Tom Jones. It tells an allegorical story, loosely based on the 1894 play ''The Romancers'' (''Les Romanesques'') by Edmond Rostand, concerning two neigh ...

'' - 2000 - music adaptor and arranger, conductor *'' Find Me Guilty'' - 2006 - composer, conductor *''

'' (Tim Burton film) - 2007 - music adaptor and orchestrator *''

'' - 2014 - orchestrator *''

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...

'' - 2017 - orchestrator

Awards

;Sources - Sondheim Guide; Internet Broadway Database *1977 Academy Award - Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Adaptation Score - ''

'' *1982 Emmy Award - Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction - ''Night of 100 Stars'' *1988 Grammy Award - Best Instrumental Arrangement, "No One Is Alone", performed by Cleo Laine *1994

- ''Passion'' *1997 Tony Award - Best Orchestrations for ''

'' *1997 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations - ''Titanic'' *2007 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations - ''Lovemusik''Cox, Gordon
"'Utopia' sweeps Drama Desk Awards"
Variety.com, May 20, 2007.

References

External links

* *
Jonathan Tunick Interview
NAMM Oral History Library (2021) {{DEFAULTSORT:Tunick, Jonathan Best Original Music Score Academy Award winners American male musicians Jewish American composers Bard College alumni Drama Desk Award winners Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni Grammy Award winners Juilliard School alumni Tony Award winners 1938 births Living people Musicians from New York City 21st-century American Jews