Rachel Mary Berkeley Portman,
FilmReference.com OBE (born 11 December 1960) is an English composer who is best known for scoring films.

Early life and education

Portman was born in

Haslemere The town of Haslemere () and the villages of Shottermill and Grayswood are in south west Surrey, England, around south west of London. Together with the settlements of Hindhead and Beacon Hill, they comprise the civil parish of Haslemere in ...

in Surrey, England, the daughter of Sheila Margaret Penelope (née Mowat) Portman and Berkeley Charles Berkeley Portman. She was educated at Charterhouse and became interested in music from a young age, beginning composing at the age of 14. After finishing school, Portman studied Music at Worcester College,

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. It was here that her interest in composing music for films began as she started experimenting with writing music for student films and theatre productions.

Career

Portman's career in music began with writing music for drama in BBC and Channel 4 films such as ''

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'',

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's '' Four Days in July'' and

Jim Henson James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide notice as the creator of The Muppets and '' Fraggle Rock'' (1983–1987) and ...

's '' Storyteller'' series. Since then, Portman has written over 100 scores for film, television and theatre. Her other works include a children's opera, ''

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'' (which was later adapted for television) and '' Little House on the Prairie'', a

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...

based upon the

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books '' Little House on the Prairie'' (2008). Portman was commissioned to write a piece of choral music for the BBC Proms series in August 2007 called ''The Water Diviner's Tale''.

Awards and honours

Portman's first award was received as the result of scoring "a large body of work" for '' The Storyteller'', for which she received the Anthony Asquith Award from the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

. Later, Portman became the first female composer to win an

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 ...

in the category of Best Musical or Comedy Score (for '' Emma'' in 1996). Portman was also nominated for Academy Awards for her scores for '' The Cider House Rules'' in 1999 and '' Chocolat'' in 2000. On 19 May 2010, she was given the Richard Kirk Award at the BMI Film & TV Awards for her contributions to film and television music. Portman is the first woman to receive the honour. Portman was appointed

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(OBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours. In 2015, Portman received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie, or a Special for her work on Bessie. 2022 she was honoured with the Career Achievement Award at the

Zurich Film Festival Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) is an annual film festival that has been held in Zürich, Switzerland, since 2005. The festival's main focus is to promote emerging filmmakers from all over the world. In three competition categories only first, second ...

Personal life

Portman married producer Uberto Pasolini in 1995, but the couple divorced in 2006; they have three children.

Filmography

*'' Privileged'' (1982) *''Reflections'' (1984) *''Last Day of Summer'' (1984) *'' Four Days in July'' (1985) *''Sharma and Beyond'' (1986) *''Good as Gold'' (1986) *'' A Little Princess'' (1986) *''1914 All Out'' (1987) *''The Short and Curlies'' (1987) *''The Falklands War: The Untold Story'' (1987) *''90 Degrees South'' (1987) *'' The Storyteller'' (1988) TV Series *''Loving Hazel'' (1988) *''Sometime in August'' (1988) *''

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'' (1989) *''Young Charlie Chaplin'' (1989) *''

Monster Maker "Monster Maker" is a 1989 45-minute television special, adapted by Matthew Jacobs from the 1979 novel of the same name by Nicholas Fisk. Harry Dean Stanton plays an American Special Effects expert living in England, who is befriended by a you ...

'' (1989) *''Living with Dinosaurs'' (1989) *''

Precious Bane ''Precious Bane'' is a historical romance by Mary Webb, first published in 1924. It won the Prix Femina Vie Heureuse Prize in 1926. Synopsis The story is set in rural Shropshire during the Napoleonic Wars. It is narrated by the central charac ...

'' (1989) (TV) *''

'' (1990) *'' Shoot to Kill'' (1990) *'' Life Is Sweet'' (1990) *''The Storyteller: Greek Myths'' (1990) *'' The Widowmaker'' (1990) *''

Where Angels Fear to Tread ''Where Angels Fear to Tread'' (1905) is a novel by E. M. Forster. The title comes from a line in Alexander Pope's ''An Essay on Criticism'': "For fools rush in where angels fear to tread". The BBC adapted the novel for television in 1966 as ...

'' (1991) *''

Antonia and Jane ''Antonia and Jane'' is a 1990 comedy film directed by Beeban Kidron and starring Saskia Reeves and Imelda Staunton in the title roles, shown in ScreenPlay on 18 July 1990. It is about two mismatched woman friends who have had a love–hate rel ...

'' (1991) *'' Flea Bites'' (1991) (TV) *'' Elizabeth R: A Year in the Life of the Queen'' (1992) (TV) *'' Used People'' (1992) *''Mr Wakefield's Crusade'' (1992) (TV) *''

Rebecca's Daughters ''Rebecca's Daughters'' is a 1992 Welsh and German comedy adventure film about the Rebecca Riots, directed by Karl Francis. The film was based on a story by Dylan Thomas. The screenplay was originally written in 1948 by Thomas, and was publish ...

'' (1992) *'' The Cloning of Joanna May'' (1992) *''

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Li ...

'' (1993) *'' The Joy Luck Club'' (1993) *'' Benny & Joon'' (1993) *'' Ethan Frome'' (1993) *''

Great Moments in Aviation ''Great Moments in Aviation'' is a 1994 British romantic drama film set on a 1950s passenger liner. The film follows Gabriel Angel (Rakie Ayola), a young Caribbean aviator who falls in love with the forger Duncan Stewart (Jonathan Pryce) on her ...

'' (1993) *''

The Road to Wellville ''The Road to Wellville'' is a 1993 novel by American author T. Coraghessan Boyle. Set in Battle Creek, Michigan, during the early days of breakfast cereals, the story includes a historical fictionalization of John Harvey Kellogg, the inventor of ...

'' (1994) *'' Only You'' (1994) *'' Sirens'' (1994) *'' War of the Buttons'' (1994) *''

To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar ''To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar'' is a 1995 American road comedy film directed by Beeban Kidron and starring Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze, and John Leguizamo as three New York City drag queens who embark on a road trip. ...

'' (1995) *''

Palookaville Palookaville may refer to: * ''Palookaville'' (film), a 1995 comedy film * ''Palookaville'' (album), a 2004 electronic album by Fatboy Slim * ''Palookaville'' (comics), an alternative comic book See also * Palooka (disambiguation) {{disa ...

'' (1995) *'' Smoke'' (1995) *''

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'' (1995) *'' Marvin's Room'' (1996) *'' Emma'' (1996) (Won the

for Best Musical or Comedy Score) *''

The Adventures of Pinocchio ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' ( ; it, Le avventure di Pinocchio ; commonly shortened to ''Pinocchio'') is a children's fantasy novel by Italian author Carlo Collodi. It is about the mischievous adventures of an animated marionette named Pi ...

'' (1996) *'' Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas'' (1997) *'' Addicted to Love'' (1997) *''

Beloved Beloved may refer to: Books * ''Beloved'' (novel), a 1987 novel by Toni Morrison * ''The Beloved'' (Faulkner novel), a 2012 novel by Australian author Annah Faulkner *''Beloved'', a 1993 historical romance about Zenobia, by Bertrice Small Film ...

'' (1998) *'' Home Fries'' (1998) *'' The Cider House Rules'' (1999) (

Nomination for Best Original Score) *'' Ratcatcher'' (1999) *''

The Other Sister ''The Other Sister'' is a 1999 American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall and stars Juliette Lewis, Giovanni Ribisi, Diane Keaton and Tom Skerritt. It was filmed in Long Beach, Pasadena, and San Francisco, California. The fi ...

'' (1999) *'' Chocolat'' (2000) (

Nomination for Best Original Score) *'' The Legend of Bagger Vance'' (2000) *''The Closer You Get'' (2000) *'' The Emperor's New Clothes'' (2001) *'' Nicholas Nickleby'' (2002) *'' The Truth About Charlie'' (2002) *'' Hart's War'' (2002) *'' Mona Lisa Smile'' (2003) *'' The Human Stain'' (2003) *'' The Manchurian Candidate'' (2004) *''Lard'' (2004) *''

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', Charles Dickens's second novel, was published as a serial from 1837 to 1839, and as a three-volume book in 1838. Born in a workhouse, the orphan Oliver Twist is bound into apprenticeship with ...

'' (2005) *''Define Normal'' (2005) *'' Because of Winn-Dixie'' (2005) *'' Infamous'' (2006) *'' The Lake House'' (2006) *''H2Hope: The Water Diviner's Tale (Musical, BBC Prom 57)'' (2007) *''

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 ''The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2'' is a 2008 American comedy-drama film and a sequel to the 2005 film ''The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants''. The original cast (Amber Tamblyn, America Ferrera, Blake Lively and Alexis Bledel) return to ...

'' (2008) *'' The Duchess'' (2008) *''

Grey Gardens ''Grey Gardens'' is a 1975 American documentary film by Albert and David Maysles. The film depicts the everyday lives of two reclusive, upper-class women, a mother and daughter both named Edith Beale, who lived in poverty at Grey Gardens, a ...

'' (2009) *'' Never Let Me Go'' (2010) *''

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan ''Snow Flower and the Secret Fan'' is a 2005 novel by Lisa See set in nineteenth-century China. In her introduction to the novel, See writes that Lily, the narrator, was born on June 5, 1824—"the fifth day of the sixth month of the third year ...

'' (2010) *'' One Day'' (2011) *'' Bel Ami'' (2011; shared scoring credit with Lakshman Joseph De Saram) *'' The Vow'' (2012; some of the film also scored by

Michael Brook Michael Brook (born 1951) is a Canadian guitarist, inventor, music producer, and film music composer. He plays in many genres, including rock, electronica, world music, minimalism and film scores. His collaborations with musicians around the worl ...

) *''

Private Peaceful ''Private Peaceful'' is a novel for older children by British author Michael Morpurgo first published in 2003. It is about a fictional young soldier called Thomas "Tommo" Peaceful, who is looking back on his life from the trenches of World Wa ...

'' (2012) *''

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'' (2013) *''

Paradise In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in para ...

'' (2013) *''

Girl Rising Girl Rising is a global movement for girls' education, based primarily around a 2013 feature film, ''Girl Rising''. Film The movie ''Girl Rising'' was produced by Kayce Freed, Tom Yellin and Holly Gordon at The Documentary Group in partnership ...

'' (documentary) (2013) *'' The Right Kind of Wrong'' (2013) *'' Belle'' (2013; wide release 2014) *'' Dolphin Tale 2'' (2014) *'' Bessie'' (2015) (won the

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special) *''Mog's Christmas Calamity'' (2015) *''

Despite the Falling Snow ''Despite the Falling Snow'' is a 200bookby Shamim Sarif. It was first published on May 4, 2004 through Headline Book Publishing and is set during two different time periods. One part of the story is set in 1950s Moscow, Russia during the Cold ...

'' (2016) *'' Their Finest'' (2016) *'' Race'' (2016) *'' A Dog's Purpose'' (2017) *''Mimi and the Mountain Dragon'' (2019) *'' Godmothered'' (2020)

References

External links

*
Rachel Portman
at the Danish Filmmusic Society {{DEFAULTSORT:Portman, Rachel 1960 births 20th-century classical composers 20th-century English composers 20th-century English women musicians 20th-century women composers 21st-century classical composers 21st-century English composers 21st-century English women musicians 21st-century women composers Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford Animation composers Best Original Music Score Academy Award winners English classical composers English film score composers English opera composers Women classical composers Women film score composers Women opera composers Georges Delerue Award winners Living people Primetime Emmy Award winners Officers of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Charterhouse School People from Haslemere Varèse Sarabande Records artists