Jonathan Tunick (born April 19, 1938) is an American Orchestration, musical director, and composer. 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.
Early life and education
Jonathan Tunick graduated from Hunter College Elementary School, and the LaGuardia Performing Arts High School, and holds degrees from
Bard College and the
Juilliard School.
[Rothstein, Mervyn. "A Life in the Theatre: Orchestrator, Composer and Music Director Jonathan Tunick" playbill.com, September 16, 2005]
Career
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.
[ Jonathan Tunick biography, sondheimguide.com; accessed April 17, 2012.] Sondheim said "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's band, "Broadway Moonlighters", played in 2008 with Barbara Cook as special guest,[ He has also worked as an arranger and/or conductor on recordings with Judy Collins, Kiri Te Kanawa, Brian Asawa, Sir Neville Marriner, Itzhak Perlman, Plácido Domingo, Johnny Mathis, Barbra Streisand, Paul McCartney, and Bernadette Peters.][ Jonathan Tunick profile goodmantheatre.org, June 2003; accessed April 17, 2012]
Recognition and awards
In his review of the Bernadette Peters recording Bernadette Peters Loves Rodgers and Hammerstein (2002), John Kenrick wrote: "Jonathan Tunick provides the brilliant arrangements."[Kenrick, John. "Solo CD's. Bernadette Peters" Musicals101.com; accessed April 18, 2012]
He has won all four major American show business awards: the Emmy Awards, Grammy Awards, Academy Awards, and Tony Awards, making him an EGOT.
He has also won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Orchestrations four times and won a Drama Desk Special Award in 1982.[Gans, Andrew. (January 26, 2009) "Theater Hall of Fame Ceremony Presented Jan. 26; Ivey Hosts" Playbill]
Personal life
Tunick is married to actress Leigh Beery[ (also known as "Lee Beery"), who appeared in the television soap opera Dark Shadows in 1971.][ "Leigh Beery Film and TV" imdb.com; accessed October 10, 2015]
Work
Stage
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Take Five (composer: "Gristedes," "The Pro Musica Antiqua")(Julius Monk Revue) - 1957
[Hischak, Thomas S. "Chapter Two, A New Arena:The 1950s" Off-Broadway Musicals Since 1919 (2011), (books.google.com), Scarecrow Press, Inc., , p. 43]
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From A to Z - 1960
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All in Love - 1961
[ " 'All in Love' Listing" Internet Off-Broadway Database, accessed April 17, 2012]
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Promises, Promises - 1968
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Here's Where I Belong - 1968
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Dames at Sea - 1969
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Company - 1970
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The Grass Harp - 1971
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Follies - 1971
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MASS - 1971
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The Selling of the President - 1972
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Sondheim: A Musical Tribute - Concert - 1973
[ " 'Sondheim: A Musical Tribute'" , SondheimGuide.com; accessed April 17, 2012]
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A Little Night Music - 1973
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Smith - 1973
[ " 'Smith' Listing", Internet Broadway database; accessed April 17, 2012]
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A Chorus Line - 1975 ("Opening," "Nothing," "At The Ballet," "...And," "What I Did For Love")
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Goodtime Charley - 1975
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The Frogs - 1975
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Pacific Overtures - 1976
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Ballroom - 1978
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Sweeney Todd - 1979
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Merrily We Roll Along - 1981
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Nine - (musical supervisor and orchestrations) 1982
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Alice in Wonderland - (musical supervisor) 1982
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Baby - 1983
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Dance a Little Closer - 1983
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Wind in the Willows - (musical supervisor) 1985
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Into the Woods - 1987
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Nick & Nora - 1991
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Phantom - 1992
[ " 'Phantom' Cast Album Listing" castalbumdb.com, accessed April 17, 2012]
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A Grand Night for Singing - 1993
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Company (re-orchestrated) - 1993
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Sweeney Todd (re-orchestrated) - 1993
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Passion - 1994
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The Petrified Prince - Public Theater 1994
[Brantley, Ben. "Theater Review; Both a Sendup and an Embrace, Based on Bergman Again" The New York Times, December 19, 1994]
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Patti LuPone on Broadway - Walter Kerr Theatre Concert 1995
[Evans, Greg. "Patti Lupone on Broadway" Variety, October 12, 1995]
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Company - 1995
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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (re-orchestrated; originals by Sid Ramin and Irwin Kostal) - 1996
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Martin Guerre - 1996
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Into the Woods - 1997
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Titanic - 1997
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Saturday Night - 1999
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Minnelli on Minnelli - (orchestrations) Palace Theatre Concerts 1999
[ " 'Minnelli on Minnelli' Listing" Internet Broadway Database, accessed April 17, 2012]
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Marie Christine - 1999
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Putting It Together - 1999
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Napoleon - 2000
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Follies (re-orchestrated) - 2001
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Into the Woods (re-orchestrated) - 2002
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Elaine Stritch At Liberty - 2001
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Nine - (re-orchestrated) 2003
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110 in the Shade (re-orchestrated from Hershy Kay's originals) - 2003
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The Frogs (re-orchestrated & expanded) - 2004
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Pacific Overtures - (re-orchestrated) 2004
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The Color Purple - 2005
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A Chorus Line - (re-orchestrated) 2006
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The Apple Tree - (re-orchestrated from Eddie Sauter's originals) 2006
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110 in the Shade - (re-orchestrated from Hershy Kay's originals) 2007
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Lovemusik - 2007
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A Catered Affair - 2008
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Road Show - 2008
[ " 'Road Show'" Internet Off-Broadway database, accessed April 18, 2012] and 2003[Murray, Matthew. "Theatre Review. 'Bounce' " talkinbroadway.com, November 2, 2003, accessed April 18, 2012]
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The Story of My Life - 2009
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Oklahoma! - (re-orchestrated from Robert Russell Bennett's originals) 2009
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Bye Bye Birdie - (re-orchestrated from Robert Ginzler's originals) 2009
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Paradise Found - 2010
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Some Lovers - Old Globe Theatre 2011
[Eadie, Bill. "Regional Reviews. 'Some Lovers', Old Globe" talkinbroadway.com, December 10, 2011]
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Sweeney Todd (re-orchestrated) - 2012
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Passion (re-orchestrated) - 2013
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A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder - 2013
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Waterfall - Pasadena Playhouse 2015
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Dames at Sea (re-orchestrated) - 2015
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Cabin in the Sky - Encores! 2016
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Carousel - (re-orchestrated from Don Walker's originals) 2018
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Here We Are - 2023
Filmography
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The Twelve Chairs - 1970 - musical director, orchestrator
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Blazing Saddles - 1974 - orchestrator
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Young Frankenstein - 1974 - orchestrator
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The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother - 1975 - orchestrator
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A Little Night Music - 1977 - composer orchestrator, conductor (winner, Academy Awards)
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- 1978 - (television) - composer, conductor
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Flying High - 1978 - (television) - composer, conductor
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3 by Cheever: "O Youth and Beauty", "The Sorrows of Gin" and - 1979 - (television) - composer, conductor
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Rendezvous Hotel - 1979 - (television) - composer, conductor
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Swan Song - 1980 - (television) - composer, conductor
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Blinded by the Light - 1980 - (television) - composer, conductor
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The Jilting of Granny Weatherall - 1980 - (television) - composer, conductor
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Fort Apache the Bronx - 1981 - composer, conductor
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Endless Love - 1981 - composer, conductor
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Reds - 1981 - orchestrator
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The Shady Hill Kidnapping - 1982 - (television) - composer, conductor
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Night of 100 Stars - 1982 - (television) - music arranger
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- 1982 - (television) - orchestrator
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Alice in Wonderland - 1983 - (television) - composer, conductor
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I Am the Cheese - 1983 - composer, conductor
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Murder, She Wrote - 1984 - (television) - series composer, conductor
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Concealed Enemies - 1984 - (television) - composer, conductor
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Brotherly Love - 1985 - (television) - composer, conductor
[ "Cast and Crew, 'Brotherly Love'" fandango.com, assessed April 18, 2012]
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Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories - 1985 - (television) - series composer, conductor
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The B.R.A.T. Patrol - 1986 - (television) - composer, conductor
[ " 'The B.R.A.T Patrol' Cast and Crew" movies.amctv.com, accessed April 18, 2012]
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American Masters - 1986 - (television) - composer (theme only)
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You Ruined My Life - 1987 - (television) - composer, conductor
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Into the Woods - 1991 - (television) - orchestrator
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Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall - 1993 (televised) (concert in 1992) - (television) - orchestrator
[ "Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall" sondheimguide.com, accessed April 18, 2012]
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The Last Good Time - 1994 - composer, conductor
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The Birdcage - 1996 - music arranger and adapter, composer, conductor
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Hey, Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh - 1998 - (television) - orchestrator
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The Fantasticks - 2000 - music adaptor and arranger, conductor
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Find Me Guilty - 2006 - composer, conductor
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- 2007 - music adaptor and orchestrator
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Into the Woods - 2014 - orchestrator
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Beauty and the Beast - 2017 - orchestrator
Awards and nominations
[[Academy Awards/" itemprop="url" title="Wiki: academy_awards">
<hr class="us2411627114">
<span class="us3003804241 us1353177739">[[Academy Awards">academy_awards">
[[Academy Awards
|
|
| 1977 | Best Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Adaptation Score | A Little Night Music | | |
Drama Desk Awards
|
|
| 1982 | Drama Desk Special Award | | |
| 1984 | Outstanding Orchestrations | Baby | | |
| 1988 | Into the Woods | | |
| 1994 | Passion | | |
| 1997 | Titanic | | |
| 1999 | Captains Courageous | | |
| 2000 | Saturday Night | | |
| 2001 | Follies | | |
| 2002 | | | |
| 2007 | The Apple Tree | | |
| LoveMusik | |
| 2008 | A Catered Affair | | |
| 2014 | A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder | | |
| 2018 | Carousel | | |
| Pacific Overtures | |
| 2020 | West Side Story | | |
Grammy Awards
|
|
| 1981 | Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special | | | |
| 1988 | Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocal(s) | "No One is Alone" | |
Primetime Emmy Awards
|
|
| 1982 | Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction | Night of 100 Stars | | |
| 1984 | Live from Lincoln Center | |
| Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Limited Series or a Special (Dramatic Underscore) | American Playhouse | |
| 1989 | Outstanding Achievement in Main Title Theme Music | Tattingers | |
| 1993 | Outstanding Individual Achievement in Main Title Theme Music | Love & War | |
tony_awards">
Tony Awards
|
|
| 1997 | Best Orchestrations | Titanic | | |
| 2000 | Marie Christine | | |
| 2001 | Follies | | |
| 2003 | Nine | | |
| 2005 | Pacific Overtures | | |
| 2007 | 110 in the Shade | | |
| LoveMusik | |
| 2008 | A Catered Affair | | |
| 2010 | Promises, Promises | | |
| 2014 | A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder | | |
| 2018 | Carousel | | |
| 2024 | Merrily We Roll Along | | |
See also
External links
