David Amram -David Amram
World-renowned co
Composer, conductor and multi-instrumentalist in the world
of classical music, Mr. Amram is also acclaimed in the
worlds of jazz, Latin, and world music. Chosen by Leonard
Bernstein as the first composer-in-residence for The New
York Philharmonic, he has conducted 75 of the world’s great
symphony orchestras, composed more than 100 orchestra
and chamber music works, 2 operas, 23 Broadway scores,
and 20 scores for Hollywood films. He played a significant
role in introducing the French horn to jazz while a member
in the bands of of the 1950s jazz legends such as
Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Charles Mingus and Oscar Pettiford. He also developed
friendships while jamming or recording with many other jazz legends such as Thelonious
Monk, Mary Lou Williams, Charlie Parker, Betty Carter, Stan Getz, Earl Fatha” Hines,
Miles Davis, Gerry Mulligan, Nina Simone, Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond, Arturo
Sandoval, Paquito d’Rivera, Candido, Ray Mantilla, Mongo Santamaria,Tito Puente,
Antonio Carlos Jobim, Thad Jones, Sonny Rollins, and Wynton Marsalis, among many
others.
David is also a virtuoso on piano, flutes, percussion and dozens of folkloric instruments
from 25 countries, and travels the world as a conductor, soloist, bandleader, visiting
scholar, and narrator in five languages. His numerous notable achievements include years
as musical goodwill ambassador in all corners of the globe for the U.S. State Department
and his long list of collaborations with the greats of music and culture include, in addition to
Mr. Bernstein, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Odetta, Jack, Kerouac, and Richie Havens as well
as Stave Martin, Pete Seeger, Allen Ginsberg, Sir James Galway, Dustin Hoffman, Johnny
Depp and many more.
He has authored three books and has written the Forewards to the new biographies of
Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. Andrew Zuckerman’s book and film, Wisdom: The
Greatest Gift One Generation Can Give To Another, features David as one of the World’s
50 Elder Thinkers and Doers. Larry Kraman’s feature length documentary film, David
Amram: The First 80 Years will be released in 2014, as will the CD live recording of
Amram’s THIS LAND: Symphonic Variations on a Song by Woody Guthrie.
www.davidamram.com