On Thursday, May 18, Composer/Conductor John Scott and The Hollywood Symphony Orchestra present an eclectic evening of works from memorable film scores that will delight and inspire music lovers and moviegoers alike. Maestro Scott leads the newly formed 80-member orchestra with 40-voice Cantori Domino choir through compositions for the silver screen. "I want to make concert audiences aware of the full potential of film music as an equal partner with accepted concert repertoire," confides John Scott, "and encourage them to listen to this music with fresh ears."
The concert features the premiere of “Sayori’s Theme” from “Memoirs of a Geisha,” Eric Korngold\'s “Kings Row,” the premiere of a new adaptation of Elmer Bernstein’s “Sweet Smell of Success,” Alex North\'s “A Streetcar Named Desire,” Ralph Vaughan Williams\' “Scott of the Antarctic,” and symphonic suites fromVictor Young\'s “Around the World in 80 Days,”John Scott\'s“Greystoke - Legend of Tarzan,” and more. The finale is the world premiere of a new symphonic suite adapted from the critically acclaimed Scott score for Peter Snell and Charlton Heston\'s “Antony and Cleopatra,” with special guests Samantha Eggar, Michael York, and Alan Mandell, reciting Shakespeare\'s immortal dialogue.
The concert is presented by the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra Society. Dedicated to preserving and presenting timeless works by contemporary composers of film and television music in a setting worthy of their creative gifts and talents, the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra Society honors an art-form too rarely heard to its full dramatic effects on the concert stage. The Hollywood Symphony Orchestra Society is pleased to bring concerts featuring prominent scores from today’s best films and TV series, as well as unrecognized gems from Hollywood’s past, to our community. The Hollywood Symphony Orchestra Society is a 501(c)3 public benefit corporation. For more information, visit www.hollywoodsymphonyorchestra.org.
For more than thirty years, JOHN SCOTT has been regarded as one of the finest composers working internationally in films today, having collaborated with the foremost producers and directors including Richard Donner, Mark Damon, Hugh Hudson, Norman Jewison, Irvin Kershner, Daniel Petrie, Roger Spottiswoode, and Charlton Heston among others. Frequently associated with other well-known Hollywood composers, including Jerry Goldsmith and John Williams, he has created a body of work that is some of the finest music ever written for film.
John Scott was born in Bishopston, Bristol, England. He studied violin, clarinet, and harp, joining the army as a boy musician in his teens. Scott learned to play the saxophone and became proficient enough to find steady work after the army, touring with the top British bands of the era. Earning a reputation as an arranger, he began to arrange and conduct for EMI’s top artists. He worked with The Beatles and their producer George Martin, and went on to record with Tom Jones, Cilla Black, and The Hollies (“He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother.”) Scott performed with The Julian Bream Consort, Yehudi Menuhin, Ravi Shankar, Nelson Riddle, John Dankworth and Cleo Lane. Scott was the first featured musician on The Beatles’ recordings.
In the ‘60s, he was leader of a popular jazz quintet and the noted Johnny Scott Trio. Scott started playing saxophone on film scores, working for Henry Mancini—one of his teachers and a mentor in his development as a film composer—and performed principal sax on the “Goldfinger” soundtrack. The first score he composed was for the Jack the Ripper film, “A Study in Terror.” Since then, John has scored over sixty motion pictures, garnering three Emmy Awards and numerous industry recognitions of his work. John has also composed many concert works including two symphonies, a ballet and three string quartets. In addition, he conducted other film composers’ work for release on CD, as well as having conducted the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra, the Munich Symphony Orchestra and the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra. John’s record company, JOS Records, has released 19 collections of his film scores since 1989. John maintains residences in the United Kingdom, the United States and France.
Actor SAMANTHA EGGAR (Cleopatra) began her career in British theatre appearing in a Cecil Beaton production. She performed at the Dublin Theatre Festival and for two seasons at the prestigious Oxford Playhouse. At the Royal Court Theatre, she appeared as Titania in “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and as Olivia in “Twelfth Night”. She starred with Anthony Hopkins at The Old Vic in Arthur Schnitzler’s “The Lonely Road,” and opposite John Hurt in the Lyric’s production of Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull.”
Discovered onstage, Eggar first appeared on screen in “The Wild & The Willing.” In William Wyler’s “The Collector,” she earned a Palm D’or as Best Actress at Cannes and an OSCAR® nomination. Among her many film credits are “Dr. Doolittle,” “Walk Don’t Run,” “Mareth Line,” “The Molly McGuires,” David Cronenberg’s “The Brood,” and “The Astronaut’s Wife.” Eggar’s television highlights include starring opposite Yul Brynner in the ABC version of “Anna and the King,” the remake of “Double Indemnity,” in the role originated by Barbara Stanwyck, and “Love Among Thieves,” opposite Audrey Hepburn and Robert Wagner. She is currently a recurring co-star on ABC’s “Commander in Chief,” playing Sara Templeton, the wife of Donald Sutherland’s character.
With an impressive body of work over the past 42 years on screen, stage, and television, MICHAEL YORK (Antony) began acting when he was a teenager in England and has never stopped. His many screen credits include memorable roles in Bob Fosse\'s Oscar-winning "Cabaret" (opposite Liza Minnelli), "Murder on the Orient Express," "The Last Remake of Beau Geste," "The Three Musketeers," "Logan\'s Run," and "The Island of Dr. Moreau." He appeared in the three wildly popular "Austin Powers" movies. His TV roles include "The Forsyte Saga," "Great Expectations," on HBO’s "Curb Your Enthusiasm," “The Simpsons,” and “Law and Order: Criminal Intent.”
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After playing Shakespeare in London and Europe with the National Youth Theatre, York studied at Oxford University, receiving an MA in English. York, wanting to become an actor, did a stint in “rep” and then joined Olivier\'s new National Theatre Company in 1965, where Franco Zeffirelli directed him in a production. Later the next year, the famous director remembered York when casting “The Taming of the Shrew” with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. It was the beginning of York’s film career and the two worked together twice more. York portrayed Tybalt in Zeffirelli’s award winning "Romeo and Juliet," and played John the Baptist in the director’s landmark "Jesus of Nazareth.”
Broadway and regional theater audiences saw him star in "Someone Who\'ll Watch Over Me," "Bent," the musical "The Little Prince," "The Crucible,” the world premiere of Tennessee Williams\' "Outcry," and “Cyrano de Bergerac.” York\'s distinctive voice is in constant demand, with over 70 audio book recordings to his name. GRAMMY-nominated in 1996 for "Treasure Island," he won an Audie Award for "The Fencing Master,” and a 2000 Listen Up Award for "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” He has recited Shakespeare to music at the Kennedy Center and the Hollywood Bowl. With the Fort Worth Symphony, he has narrated William Walton\'s "Henry V" and played the title role in the world premiere of Walton\'s "Christopher Columbus."
York is the author of "Dispatches from Armageddon: Making the Movie Megiddo," "A Shakespearean Actor Prepares," his autobiography "Accidentally on Purpose," and “Are My Blinkers Showing?” For the past 30 years, he has resided in Los Angeles with his wife, Pat. He has been recognized internationally; he has received Britain’s OBE, France\'s Arts et Lettres and a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Actor, producer, director and manager ALAN MANDELL (Enobarbus) is known for his roles in the works of Shakespeare, Beckett, and others as well as productions on and off Broadway, throughout California and Europe. He acted, directed and was general manager at both the San Francisco Actor’s Workshop and the Repertory Theatre of Lincoln Center. After co-founding the San Quentin Drama Workshop, he toured France and Germany with the original productions of Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot,” and “Endgame,” directed by the playwright. He had previously performed “Endgame” at Dublin’s Abbey Theatre, in the West End and touring Italy. Recent stage appearances include roles in “The Cherry Orchard” at the Mark Taper Forum, “The Royal Family” at the Ahmanson Theater, and “He Hunts” at the Geffen Playhouse.
He served as Consulting Director for Los Angeles Theater Center (LATC), directing “A Rich Full Life,” “The Birthday Party,” “Happy Days,” “The Caretaker,” and Strindberg’s “The Dance of Death.” At LATC, he appeared in “The Film Society,” “Antony and Cleopatra,” “Sarcophagus,” and “The Illusion.” Film roles include “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” “The Marrying Man,” “Endgame,” “Midnight Witness,” and “Shortbus.” Mandell appeared on television in “Blind Ambition,” “Dark Victory,” “Enemies,” “79 Park Avenue,” and “Eight is Enough.”
As its founder and artistic director, Maurita Phillips-Thornburgh has led CANTORI DOMINO through fifteen seasons of concerts featuring a wide range of works, including tours to Spain and Eastern Europe. In late 2004, the ensemble enjoyed a weeklong residency at York Minster Cathedral, Yorkshire. Phillips-Thornburgh also conducts the sanctuary choirs of Vallejo Drive Seventh Day Adventist Church in Glendale and St. Augustine by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Santa Monica.
Soprano RENÉE BURKETT received her Master’s Degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas. While in her home state, she performed with the opera companies of Dallas and San Antonio, as well as Houston Grand Opera. Since moving to Los Angeles, she has sung with the Los Angeles Opera and Opera Pacific. Burkett has been a member of the GRAMMY-nominated Los Angeles Master Chorale for fourteen years and a member of Cantori Domino for eight years. She has toured with the Camerata of Los Angeles performing at Carnegie Hall and in China, and she has also toured with the Roger Wagner Chorale in Japan and Korea. She has appeared on television and in motion pictures, both on screen and on sound tracks. She has sung leading roles in “La Bohème,” “Werther,” “The Merry Widow,” “The Tales of Hoffmann,” “Don Giovanni,” “Suor Angelica,” “The Magic Flute,” “The King and I,” “The Sound of Music,” “My Fair Lady,” “Carousel,” and “A Little Night Music.”