Gerard Schurmann (19 January 1924 – 24 March 2020) was a Dutch-born British composer and conductor. He lived in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

from 1981 until his death. He composed music for many film soundtracks. Schurmann was also the orchestrator for the 1962 film ''

Lawrence of Arabia Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935) was a British Army officer, archaeologist, diplomat and writer known for his role during the Arab Revolt and Sinai and Palestine campaign against the Ottoman Empire in the First W ...

''. Schurmann died on 24 March 2020 at his home in the

Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills is a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. It borders Studio City, Universal City and Burbank on the north, Griffith Park on the north and east, Los Feliz on the southeast, Hollyw ...

Early life

Gerard Schurmann was born to a Dutch father and a Hungarian pianist mother who had studied with

Béla Bartók Béla Viktor János Bartók (; ; 25 March 1881 – 26 September 1945) was a Hungarian composer, pianist and ethnomusicologist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Franz Liszt are regarded as Hunga ...

Film music

*'' The Long Arm'' (1956) *''

The Man in the Sky ''The Man in the Sky'' (released in the U.S. as ''Decision Against Time'') is a 1957 British thriller drama film directed by Charles Chrichton and starring Jack Hawkins and Elizabeth Sellars. The screenplay was by John Eldridge and William ...

'' (1957) *''

The Camp on Blood Island ''The Camp on Blood Island'' is a 1958 British World War II film, directed by Val Guest for Hammer Film Productions and starring André Morell, Carl Möhner, Edward Underdown and Walter Fitzgerald. The film is set in a Japanese prisoner o ...

'' (1958) *'' The Two Headed Spy'' (1958) *''

Horrors of the Black Museum ''Horrors of the Black Museum'' is a 1959 British horror film directed by Arthur Crabtree and starring Michael Gough, June Cunningham, Graham Curnow and Shirley Anne Field. It was the first film in what film critic David Pirie dubbed Angl ...

'' (1959) *'' Cone of Silence'' (1960) *''

Konga Konga () is a locality situated in Tingsryd Municipality, Kronoberg County, Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway t ...

'' (1961) *'' The Ceremony'' (1963) *'' Dr Syn, Alias the Scarecrow'' (1963) *''

The Bedford Incident ''The Bedford Incident'' is a 1965 British-American Cold War film directed by James B. Harris, starring Richard Widmark and Sidney Poitier, and produced by Harris and Widmark. The cast also features Eric Portman, James MacArthur, Martin Balsa ...

'' (1965) *'' The Lost Continent'' (1968) *''

Attack on the Iron Coast ''Attack on the Iron Coast'' is a 1967 DeLuxe Color Anglo-American Oakmont Productions international co-production war film directed by Paul Wendkos in the first of his five-picture contract with Mirisch Productions, and starring Lloyd Bridges, ...

'' (1968) *''

Claretta ''Claretta'' () is a 1984 Italian historical drama film directed and written by Pasquale Squitieri. The film entered the competition at the 41° Venice International Film Festival. For her role of Claretta Petacci, Claudia Cardinale was awarded ...

'' (1984) *'' The Gambler'' (1997)

Discography

*''Concerto for Orchestra'', ''Violin Concerto'' *''Six Studies of Francis Bacon'', ''Variants for Small Orchestra'' (1997) *''Music for Violin and Piano'' *''Chamber Music, Vol. 2'' *''Chamber Music, Vol. 3'' *''Chamber and Instrumental Music and Songs, Vol. 4''

References

External links

* 1924 births 2020 deaths People from Java 20th-century British composers 21st-century British composers British male composers British male conductors (music) Dutch emigrants to the United Kingdom 20th-century British male musicians 21st-century British male musicians British expatriates in the United States {{UK-composer-stub