Bernard Herrmann

Renowned for his short but masterful musical cues, pioneering use of electronics and fiercely independent working methods, Bernard Herrmann is widely regarded as one of the greatest American composers in film history. The Juilliard School graduate began his remarkable career at CBS, firstly as a conductor where he forged a reputation as a champion of new and unknown music, and secondly as a protege of Orson Welles, arranging scores for dozens of the director's radio productions as well as his big-screen masterpiece "Citizen Kane" (1941). Herrmann won the only Oscar of his career for his work on "The Devil and Daniel Webster" (1941) but it was his nine-year partnership with Alfred Hitchcock, and work on "Vertigo" (1958) and "Psycho" (1960) in particular, that elevated him into the realm of all-time greats. Herrmann's collaborations with Dynamation pioneer Ray Harryhausen further cemented his status, and although he later rejected Hollywood for its hit-chasing obsession, his music remained omnipresent in a new wave of American cinema helmed by the likes of Brian De Palma and Martin Scorsese. Despite his sudden death the day after completing work on the latter's "Taxi Driver" (1976), Herrmann's classical and film compositions continued to make a significant cultural impact throughout the following half-century.