Favourite Austrian & German Composers
No ranking, just sorted First Name / Family Name.
This list contains Composers from Austria, and both West and former East Germany.
Personal favourites are Karl-Heinz Schäfer, Klaus Doldinger, Peter Thomas and Roland Kovac.
Can, Popol Vuh and Tangerine Dream are excellent Rockbands, but negligible concerning film music.
Thanks for checking, enjoy.
This list contains Composers from Austria, and both West and former East Germany.
Personal favourites are Karl-Heinz Schäfer, Klaus Doldinger, Peter Thomas and Roland Kovac.
Can, Popol Vuh and Tangerine Dream are excellent Rockbands, but negligible concerning film music.
Thanks for checking, enjoy.
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German-American pianist, composer, arranger and conductor André George Previn (born Andreas Ludwig Priwin, in Berlin) was for eight decades a hugely influential and prolific figure in jazz, as well as classical and film music. Being Jewish, Previn's family was forced to leave Hitler's Germany in 1939. Hollywood naturally beckoned, since André's grand uncle (Charles Previn) was already well established as musical director at Universal (1936-42). Child prodigy André recorded his first piano jazz album at the age of sixteen while continuing studies at Beverly Hills High School.
He joined MGM at age 17 in 1946 (initially as an uncredited music supervisor/arranger), later as orchestra conductor and still later as a composer of film scores. He remained under contract at the studio until 1960. During his tenure in Hollywood, he was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, winning four (all for Best Adapted Score: Gigi (1958), Porgy and Bess (1959), Irma la Douce (1963), and My Fair Lady (1964)). In the 1950s, he recorded several acclaimed jazz albums with drummer Shelly Manne and pianist Russ Freeman, featuring excellent tracks like "Who's on First" and "Strike Out the Band". He began conducting with the St. Louis Symphony in 1961 while still working primarily as a jazz and studio musician. Much of his recorded work consisted of show tunes adapted for jazz. Gradually, his interest in classical music won out.
By the late 1960s, Previn had settled in England and in 1968 was made principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, a position he occupied for eleven years. His popularity led to cameo TV appearances (including a famous sketch for the 1971 Christmas special of the The Morecambe & Wise Show (1968), in which he appeared as "Mr. Andrew Preview") and television advertising (Vauxhall, Ferguson TX portable television etc.). From 1985 to 1989, he was musical director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic as well as with the Royal Philharmonic (1985-88, subsequently also principal conductor, from 1988-91).
In 1993, he was appointed conductor laureate of the London Symphony and three years later was made an Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to music. He won 10 Grammy Awards (including two for jazz and two for film music) and was nominated for six Emmys. Previn latterly returned to recording jazz albums with, among others, Ella Fitzgerald (1983), Joe Pass & Ray Brown (1989), and Kiri Te Kanawa (1992). Two excellent tribute albums released, respectively in 1998 and 2000 for Deutsche Grammophon, were 'We Got Rhythm: A Gershwin Songbook' and 'We Got it Good: An Ellington Songbook'.
Married (and divorced) five times, his ex-wives included Dory Previn and Mia Farrow. Previn died in New York on February 28, 2019, aged 89.- Composer
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- Bernd Kampka was born on 29 March 1919 in Breslau, Silesia, Germany. He was a composer and actor, known for Komm nach Wien, ich zeig dir was! (1970), Der liebe Augustin (1960) and Grimm's Fairy Tales for Adults (1969). He died on 19 June 1997 in Marburg, Germany.
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Internationally renowned bandleader Bert Kaempfert was born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1923. A student at the Hamburg School of Music, he was hired by bandleader Hans Busch and played with that orchestra before enlisting in the German Navy during World War II, where he served as a musician. After the war he started his own band, in addition to working as an arranger and producer for the recordings of other singers and bandleaders (in 1961 he hired a little-known band to back up singer Tony Sheridan on his album "My Bonnie". That band was The Beatles).
Kampfert had his own hit recording career, beginning with what is probably his signature work, "Wonderland By Night", in 1960. He also had a major hit with the instrumental "Red Roses for a Blue Lady" in 1965--although he did not, as is often thought, write the music for it, he did have a hugely successful songwriting career, some of his most famous compositions (he wrote the music, others wrote the lyrics) being hits for other artists, such as "Strangers in the Night" for Frank Sinatra, "Wooden Heart" for Joe Dowell, "Spanish Eyes" for Al Martino, "Danke Schoen" for Wayne Newton, among others. He also wrote the scores for several films, including A Man Could Get Killed (1966) and the Elvis Presley film G.I. Blues (1960). Musicians such as Bobby Hackett, Pete Fountain and Johnny Mathis recorded "tribute" albums of Kaempfert's music. He was an early proponent of what came to be known as "world music", often using songs and musical styles from Africa (one of his biggest hits was called "Afrikaan Beat"). Although his record sales began to decline in the 1970s, he kept up a strong schedule of live concerts, and made a hugely successful appearance at London's Royal Albert Hall in 1974.
A heavy cigarette smoker, he died of a stroke at his home in Majorca, Spain, on June 21, 1980. He was 56 years old.- Actor
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Blixa Bargeld was born on 12 January 1959 in Berlin, Germany. He is an actor and composer, known for Wings of Desire (1987), Heat (1995) and The Mummy (1999). He is married to Erin Zhu.- Composer
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Charly Niessen was born on 22 August 1923 in Vienna, Austria. He was a composer and writer, known for Big Eyes (2014), Der lachende Vagabund (1958) and Conny und Peter machen Musik (1960). He was married to Claudia Wedekind. He died on 21 February 1990 in Prien am Chiemsee, Bavaria, Germany.- Composer
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Christian Bruhn is a composer and producer since 1958. He wrote several hits for German stars like Cornelia Froboess (Zwei kleine Italiener), Katja Ebstein, Freddy Quinn, Roy Black and Peter Alexander. But he wrote and composed also songs for international artist, like Swedish singer Siw Malmkvist (Liebeskummer lohnt sich nicht), French singer Mireille Mathieu or for the Italian star Rita Pavone. Caterina Valente had several hits in Germany with his compositions. He wrote more than 2000 songs in 30 years, and he is still active as composer of songs and filmmusic.- Composer
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Claudius Alzner is known for Heisses Pflaster Köln (1967), Killer's Carnival (1966) and Das Paradies der flotten Sünder (1968).- Composer
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Dieter Reith was born on 25 February 1938 in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. He was a composer, known for Date Movie (2006), Die Unternehmungen des Herrn Hans (1977) and Gina Wildkatze (1975). He died on 1 April 2020 in Germany.- Composer
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The pioneering German collective Tangerine Dream has been delivering their distinctive style of ambient music for nearly three decades, laying down a foundation of sound textures and sonic imagery that has influenced many of today's electronic musicians. Founded in 1967 by fine art aficionado Edgar Froese the group released their first album, "Electronic Meditation" in 1970, and, through many different line-ups in proceeding years, delivered a unique brand of space-rock, making use of electronic instruments like synths and Mellotron, along traditional instruments like rock guitar and blues harmonica. Their work on William Friedkin's Sorcerer (1977) was the beginning of many film projects that the group would undertake throughout the 1980s, including Thief (1981) and The Keep (1983), both directed by Michael Mann, Legend (1985) by Ridley Scott, Near Dark (1987) by Kathryn Bigelow and the box-office hit Risky Business (1983) with Tom Cruise. Throughout the 1990s, the group has been as active as ever, releasing as many as five albums a year, including remastered versions of early material.- Composer
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Erich Ferstl was born on 4 May 1934 in Munich, Germany. He is a composer and actor, known for Wilder Reiter GmbH (1967), Der Spezialist (1967) and The Night of the Askari (1976).- Composer
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Erwin Halletz was born on 12 July 1923 in Vienna, Austria. He was a composer, known for Siebenmal in der Woche (1957), Uneasy Summer (1967) and Die ganze Welt ist himmelblau (1964). He was married to Nina Konsta. He died on 27 October 2008 in Vienna, Austria.- Composer
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Eugen Thomass was born on 24 December 1927 in Munich, Germany. He was a composer, known for Scarabea - wieviel Erde braucht der Mensch? (1969), Tatort (1970) and Professor Columbus (1968). He died on 21 January 2009 in Winterthur, Zurich, Switzerland.- Composer
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Florian Fricke was born on 23 February 1944 in Lindau, Bavaria, Germany. He was a composer and director, known for Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972), Sightseers (2012) and Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979). He died on 29 December 2001 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.- Composer
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Franz Grothe was born on 17 September 1908 in Berlin, Germany. He was a composer and actor, known for The Good Liar (2019), Waltz Melodies (1938) and Das Schloß in Flandern (1936). He was married to Kirsten Heiberg and Gerda Eckert. He died on 12 September 1982 in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany.- Music Department
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Frederick Loewe's parents were Austrian; he studied music with Ferruccio Busoni, Eugene D'Albert and N. Reznicek and he was awarded the Hollander Medal in Berlin. He came to the US in 1924 and joined ASCAP in 1941; in 1942, he gave a piano recital at Carnegie Hall. His chief musical collaborator was Alan Jay Lerner, and his popular-song compositions include "On the Street Where You Live", "I Could Have Danced All Night", "The Rain in Spain", "With a Little Bit of Luck", "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face", "Get Me to the Church on Time", "Gigi" (Academy Award, 1958), "The Night They Invented Champagne", "I Remember It Well", "Thank Heaven for Little Girls", "I'm Glad I'm Not Young Anymore", "If Ever I Should Leave You", "Camelot", "How to Handle a Woman", "Follow Me", "A Waltz Was Born in Vienna", "A Jug of Wine", "The Heather on the Hill", "Almost Like Being in Love", "There but For You Go I", "Come to Me, Bend to Me", "I Talk to the Trees", "They Call the Wind Maria", "Another Autumn", "Wouldn't It Be Loverly?", and "I Still See Elisa".- Composer
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Berry Lipman was born on 11 January 1921 in Burgdorf, Lower Saxony, Germany. Berry was a composer. Berry died on 21 August 2016.Real name: Friedel Berlipp- Composer
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Friedrich Hollaender was the son of the composer Victor Hollaender, who composed shows in Berlin in the 1890s to 1910s. Frederick received early musical training, since 1913 he was student of opera composer Engelbert Humperdinck (who composed Hänsel und Gretel). He started as repetitor at a theater in Prague, and became - despite his classical training which likely would otherwise have led to a career as classical composer - an important composer of shows and cabaret songs in Berlin in the 1920s. He started working for the UFA movie The Blue Angel (1930). By chance, an actress wanted him as pianist for her audition for that movie - but he got the job as composer, while the role went to Marlene Dietrich. He directed the Lilian Harvey movie Ich und die Kaiserin (1933) in all three versions (German/French/English).
After the Nazis came to power on January 30, 1933 he immigrated via France and England to Hollywood, where he got a three months contract. There, he wrote songs and scores for various movies. RKO signed him as director for the western film "Bullets and Ballots". After the decline of musicals in the mid-1950s he returned in 1956 to Germany, where he continued working for shows and cabaret, this time in Munich. As composer/lyricist he retired in the 1960s, but he kept writing books until the 1970s.- Composer
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Gene Kauer was born on 30 July 1921 in Wieda, Lower Saxony, Germany. He was a composer and actor, known for Agent for H.A.R.M. (1966) and Monstrosity (1963). He died on 30 June 1983 in Pacific Palisades, California, USA.- Composer
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Georg Haentzschel was born on 23 December 1907 in Berlin, Germany. He was a composer and actor, known for The Divine Jetta (1937), Annelie (1941) and Stefanie (1958). He died on 12 April 1992 in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.- Composer
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Gerd Natschinski was born on 23 August 1928 in Chemnitz, Germany. He was a composer, known for Revue um Mitternacht (1962), Der Mann mit dem Objektiv (1961) and Zar und Zimmermann (1956). He was married to Gundula and ???. He died on 4 August 2015 in Berlin, Germany.- Composer
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Gerhard Becker was born on 7 August 1919 in Erfurt, Germany. He was a composer, known for The Tiger of Eschnapur (1959), Hochzeit am Neusiedlersee (1963) and The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse (1960). He died on 4 March 1973 in West Berlin, West Germany.- Composer
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Gerhard Heinz was born on 9 September 1927 in Vienna, Austria. He is a composer.- Composer
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Gerhard Siebholz was born on 4 April 1932 in Eberswalde, Germany. He was a composer, known for Don't Cheat, Darling! (1973), Hochzeitsnacht im Regen (1967) and Drei reizende Schwestern (1984). He died on 13 February 2003 in Berlin, Germany.- Composer
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German film and TV show composer Gert Wilden was born as Gert Wychodil on April 15, 1917 in Moravska Trebova, Czechoslovakia. Wilden studied conduction and composition at the Prague Conservatorium under the expert tutelage of George Szell, Fritz Rieger, and Fidelio Fincke. In the late 1940's Gert composed and arranged music for most German radio stations. In addition, Wilden worked as a ghost writer in collaboration with Michael Jary, H.M. Majewski, Alfred Newman, and Victor Young. He first began composing film scores in the mid-1950's. Gert was perhaps best known for providing the groovy, joyous and jaunty music for the notoriously naughty "Schoolgirl Report" lowbrow soft-core comedy features that were made throughout the 70s. Wilden has more than 50 movie scores to his credit in a diverse array of pictures in such genres as comedy, Western and even thrillers. Moreover, Gert has over 300 CDs and LPs on his resume as an arranger, composer, or producer. He headed the Bavarian Television Orchestra from 1961 to 1964. Wilden worked as an arranger and supervisor on music recordings for such artists as Hildegard Knef, Zarah Leander, Elke Sommer, Hans Albers, and Heinz Ruhmann. He was married to former actress and singer Trude Hofmeister; they are the parents of a son and a daughter. Gert resided in Munich and Tutzing at the Starnberger Lake. He died at age 98 on September 10, 2015 in Tutzing, Bavaria, Germany.- Composer
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Gottfried Huppertz was born on 11 March 1887 in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He was a composer and actor, known for Metropolis (1927), Die Nibelungen: Siegfried (1924) and Le domino vert (1935). He died on 7 February 1937 in Berlin, Germany.- Composer
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Günther Fischer was born on 23 June 1944 in Teplitz-Schönau, Sudetenland, Germany [now Teplice, Czech Republic]. He is a composer and actor, known for Solo Sunny (1980), The House on the River (1986) and Eolomea (1972).- Composer
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Hans Erdmann was born on 7 November 1882 in Breslau, Silesia, Germany [now Wroclaw, Dolnoslaskie, Poland]. He was a composer and editor, known for Nosferatu (1922), The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933) and Der tolle Bomberg (1932). He died on 21 November 1942 in Berlin, Germany.- Music Department
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Hans Posegga was born on 31 January 1917 in Berlin, Germany. He was a composer and actor, known for Nosferatu (1922), Schonzeit für Füchse (1966) and Delicacy (2011). He died on 19 May 2002 in Vienna, Austria.- Composer
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Hans Sommer was born on 22 May 1904 in Berlin, Germany. He was a composer and actor, known for Michel Strogoff (1936), Die kleine und die große Liebe (1938) and Two Merry Adventurers (1937). He died in October 2000 in Pacific Palisades, California, USA.- Music Department
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Harold Faltermeyer was born on 5 October 1952 in Munich, Bavaria, West Germany. He is a composer, known for Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Top Gun (1986) and Beverly Hills Cop II (1987). He was previously married to Karin Faltermeyer.- Composer
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Heino Gaze was born on 20 February 1908 in Halle, Saale, Germany. He was a composer and actor, known for Wir tanzen auf dem Regenbogen (1952), Cuba Cabana (1952) and Musikparade (1956). He died on 24 October 1967 in West Berlin, West Germany.- Composer
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Heinz Kiessling was born on 11 March 1926 in Nuremberg, Germany. He was a composer and actor, known for It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005), Whatever Works (2009) and Fractured (2019). He died on 27 December 2003 in Starnberg, Germany.- Composer
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Henning Lohner was raised near Palo Alto, California, to German emigrant parents. He returned to Germany to complete studies in musicology at Frankfurt University, from which he graduated as MA in 1987. In 1985, Lohner became assistant to German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen; Stockhausen introduced Lohner to the visual media while working at La Scala in Milano on Stockhausen's opera "Licht". In 1989 Lohner became musical advisor for Louis Malle (1989-90, on the film "May Fools", starring Michel Piccoli). Long-term collaborations with Frank Zappa resulted in roles as music producer for film and music projects such as "Peefeeyatko" (1991) and "The Yellow Shark" (1992), and with John Cage, on "one11 and 103" (1992), as well as producing and directing the music films "The Revenge of the Dead Indians" (1993), and "In a Metal Mood" (1996, starring Pat Boone). Henning's audio-visual installation " raw material, vol. 1-11" (as of 1995) has toured prominent venues in continental Europe, including the Gemeente Museum, The Hague, the Sonic Art Festival in Rome and the Video Art Festival of Berlin. In 1996, Henning moved to Los Angeles and worked as a composer at "Media Ventures" (now "Remote Control") film music studios, founded by composer Hans Zimmer. After apprenticeships on such films as "Broken Arrow", "Gladiator" and "Thin Red Line", Henning wrote additional music for Hans's film scores to "Laura's Star", the Jim Brooks directed "Spanglish", and co-composed the "Ring One", starring Naomi Watts. Consequently, Henning has scored over 40 feature films to date. He particularly enjoys scoring horror/thriller films and this has led to Henning composing film scores such as "The Ring Two" (again starring Naomi Watts), "Bloodrayne" (starring Sir Ben Kingsley, Kristana Loken, and Michael Madsen), the horror/thriller "Timber Falls" for producer Arnold Rifkin and the epic tale "Dungeon Seige - In the Name of the King" (starring Jason Stratham, Bert Reynolds, and Ray Liotta). Balancing out his affection for "nightmare films", Henning loves scoring comedies (e.g. "Incident at Loch Ness" by/starring Werner Herzog & Zak Penn), romantic comedies ("Love Comes Lately" which premiered at Sundance in 2008), drama and family films (such as the European hit animations "Laura' s Christmas" or "Der kleine Dodo"). More recently Henning scored the beautiful Italian coming-of-age film "Marcello Marcello", set in a Napolitain city of the 50s, in which a young man overcomes the hurdles of wining the heart of the major's daughter. In his spare time Henning teaches as Guest Professor at the renowned Zurich Academy for Music and Theatre. Henning spends his time between Berlin, London and Los Angeles.- Composer
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James Last was born on 17 April 1929 in Bremen, Germany. He was a composer and actor, known for Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003), Ocean's Eight (2018) and Shallow Grave (1994). He was married to Christine Grundner and Waltraut. He died on 9 June 2015 in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA.- Composer
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Jörg Evers was born on 21 June 1950 in Bayreuth, Bavaria, Germany. He was a composer and actor, known for Schluchtenflitzer (1979), Nacht der Wölfe (1982) and Anschi und Michael (1977). He died on 12 February 2023 in Germany.- Composer
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Jürgen Knieper was born on 14 March 1941 in Karlsruhe, Germany. He is a composer and actor, known for Wings of Desire (1987), Wrong Move (1975) and Christiane F. (1981).- Composer
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Karl Bette was born on 29 November 1916 in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He was a composer, known for Das Mädchen mit den schmalen Hüften (1961), Die Insel der Amazonen (1960) and Gruß und Kuß vom Tegernsee (1957). He died on 9 May 2006.- Composer
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Karl-Ernst Sasse was born on 5 December 1923 in Bremen, Germany. He was a composer and actor, known for Destiny (1921), The Last Laugh (1924) and Das Licht auf dem Galgen (1976). He was married to Inge Burg. He died on 12 November 2006 in Potsdam-Babelsberg, Brandenburg, Germany.- Composer
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Karl-Heinz Schäfer was born on 17 March 1932 in Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany. He was a composer and actor, known for Street of No Return (1989), Cross (1987) and L'empreinte des géants (1980). He died on 12 October 1996 in Paris, France.- Composer
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Klaus Doldinger was born on 12 May 1936 in Berlin, Germany. He is a composer and actor, known for Das Boot (1981), The NeverEnding Story (1984) and Ocean's Thirteen (2007). He has been married to Inge Beck since 9 April 1960. They have three children.- Composer
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Klaus Ogermann was born on 29 April 1930 in Ratibor (Silesia, Germany, now known as Racibórz, Slaskie, Poland). He was a composer and actor, known for Sideways (2004), Heartbreakers (2001) and Judas and the Black Messiah (2021). He died on 8 March 2016 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.- Composer
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Klaus Schulze was born on 4 August 1947 in Berlin, Germany. He was a composer and actor, known for Dune (2021), Manhunter (1986) and The Bling Ring (2013). He was married to Elfi. He died on 26 April 2022 in Berlin, Germany.- Composer
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Konrad Elfers was born on 25 October 1919. He was a composer and actor, known for A Bad Moms Christmas (2017), Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler (1922) and The Coldest Game (2019). He died on 22 September 1996.- Composer
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Kristian Schultze was born on 21 January 1945 in Frankfurt an der Oder, Brandenburg, Germany. He was a composer and actor, known for Enemy Mine (1985), Scarface (1983) and Max und Moritz (1956). He died on 22 November 2011 in Bad Tölz, Bavaria, Germany.- Music Department
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Kurt Hertha was born on 2 May 1926 in Gestungshausen, Sonnefeld, Bavaria, Germany. He was an actor and writer, known for Die ganze Welt ist himmelblau (1964), Stop Train 349 (1963) and Spukschloß im Salzkammergut (1966). He died on 8 July 2007 in Grünwald, Bavaria, Germany.- Music Department
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Kurt Weill was born on 2 March 1900 in Dessau, Germany. He was a composer and writer, known for Three Penny Opera (1963), Knickerbocker Holiday (1944) and The Thomas Crown Affair (1999). He was married to Lotte Lenya. He died on 3 April 1950 in New York City, New York, USA.- Music Department
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Les Humphries was born on 10 August 1940 in London, England, UK. He was a composer and actor, known for Ecco noi per esempio... (1977), Sex Freedom in Germany (1970) and Die Gentrifizierung bin ich. Beichte eines Finsterlings (2017). He was married to Dunja Rajter. He died on 26 December 2007 in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England, UK.- Composer
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Lotar Olias was born on 23 December 1913 in Königsberg, East-Prussia, Germany [now Kaliningrad, Russia]. He was a composer and writer, known for Freddy und der Millionär (1961), Heimweh nach St. Pauli (1963) and The Blue Moth (1959). He died on 21 October 1990 in Hamburg-Ohlsdorf, Germany.- Composer
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Lothar Brühne was a German composer who wrote songs for cinema in the 30s and 40s. Some of his biggest are "La Habanera", "Der Blaufuchs" ("La Belle Hongroise", "The Blue Fox") and "Romanze in Moll" ("Romance in a Minor Key"). Some of his hits and evergreens are "Der Wind hat mir ein Lied erzählt" (1937) ("Le vent m'a dit une chanson") sang by Zarah Leander in three languages (German, French and Swedish) and sold over millions of Odeon records, "Kann der Liebe Sünde sein" ("Quand on aime, fait-on mal ?"), "Von der Pusta will ich traümen bei Zigeuner Musik" ("Vers la Puszta", "De la Puszta quiero Sonar", "Jag om pusztan ofta drömmer"), and so many more.- Composer
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Lothar Meid was born on 28 August 1942 in Babenhausen, Bavaria, Germany. He was a composer and actor, known for Blam! (1985), Flitterwochen (1980) and Die Heartbreakers (1983). He died on 3 November 2015 in Hamburg, Germany.- Composer
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Manfred Hübler is known for Jackie Brown (1997), Intercontinental Express (1964) and The Devil Came from Akasava (1971).- Composer
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Böttcher was born 1927 in Berlin/Germany. After the second world war the young Böttcher began as solo guitarist at Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk. In the year 1955 he wrote the music for his first film Der Hauptmann und sein Held (1955). Already his next movie Teenage Wolfpack (1956), was a great artistic success for himself. He becomes one of the busiest composers for Cinema and TV in Germany. At the height of his career he made the music of 10 Karl-May-frontier-sagas in which actors Lex Barker and Pierre Brice are the central figures (1962-68). All in all Böttcher made the music for about 60 Films and 100 television productions. By turnes he lives on Sardinia and in Lugano. He shall also write the music for the new Winnetou" ZDF -televsion production with Pierre Brice.- Composer
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Michael Jary was born on 24 September 1906 in Laurahütte, Upper Silesia, Germany [now Siemianowice Slaskie, Slaskie, Poland]. He was a composer and producer, known for Enemy at the Gates (2001), Inglourious Basterds (2009) and Downfall (2004). He died on 12 July 1988 in Munich, Bavaria, West Germany.- Composer
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Michael Rüggeberg was born on 19 July 1941 in Bad Aibling, Bavaria, Germany. He is a composer, known for The Lite Trap (1982), Der Atem (1989) and Change (1975).- Composer
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Niki Reiser was born on 12 May 1958 in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. He is a composer, known for A Year Ago in Winter (2008), Kalt ist der Abendhauch (2000) and Beyond Silence (1996).- Actress
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Has performed throughout the world for over forty years. Born March 11, 1955 in the former East Berlin, East Germany, to Hans and Eva-Maria Hagen. At the age of four began to study ballet and at an early age was considered to be an "opera prodigy". In 1979, appeared with Herman Brood, and Lene Lovich in the film Cha-Cha (1979). The three composed the film's soundtrack.- Composer
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Paul Dessau was born on 19 December 1894 in Hamburg, Germany. He was a composer, known for Adventures of Casanova (1948), The Wife of Monte Cristo (1946) and The Novel of Werther (1938). He was married to Ruth Berghaus, Antje Ruge, Elisabeth Hauptmann and Gudrun Kabisch. He died on 28 June 1979 in Königs Wusterhausen, German Democratic Republic.- Composer
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Paul Haslinger is an Austrian musician and composer. He lives and works in Los Angeles.
Paul began his career as a member of Electronic Music pioneers Tangerine Dream. He toured with the band extensively from 1985-90 and contributed to projects such as the album "Underwater Sunlight" (1986), as well as the films "Near Dark" (1987) and "Miracle Mile" (1988). In 1990, the band received a Grammy Nomination for their score to the Miramar Documentary 'Canyon Dreams'.
Paul moved to Los Angeles in 1991 to expand his creative scope. This led to a number of collaborations and began to shift his focus towards film scoring. It was his programming work for composer Graeme Revell that caught the attention of Hollywood executives which lead to his first solo credit, scoring HBO's Cheaters in 2000.
Paul's unique approach to scoring is based on his belief that, music in any genre, including film and television, should represent and be relevant to the time in which it was written. He received an Emmy nomination for his work on the Showtime Series 'Sleeper Cell' (2007)
Notable Projects Include: Fear The Walking Dead (2015 and 2016) Halt And Catch Fire (2014 - 2016) Rainbow Six Siege (2016) Underworld Awakening (2012) The Three Musketeers (2011) Rise Of The Lycans (2009) Takers (2009) Death Race (2008) Shoot Em Up (2007) Crank (2006) Sleeper Cell (2006) Underworld (2003) Blue Crush (2002) Minority Report (2002)
Notable Collaborations Include: Jon Hassell, Brian Williams (aka Lustmord), Christian Fennesz, Adam Jones, Snorri Bros, Nona Hendryx, Sussan Deihim, and Shenkar.
Upcoming Projects: Resident Evil: The Final Chapter- Composer
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Peer Raben was born on 3 July 1940 in Viechtafell, Viechtach, Bavaria, Germany. He was a composer and actor, known for 2046 (2004), Querelle (1982) and Finding Forrester (2000). He died on 21 January 2007 in Mitterfels, Bavaria, Germany.- Composer
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Peter Hesslein was born on 26 January 1947. He is a composer, known for Supermarket (1974).- Composer
- Actor
- Music Department
Peter Igelhoff was born on 22 July 1904 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary [now Austria]. He was a composer and actor, known for Two Friends (1938), Wir machen Musik (1942) and Do Not Send Your Wife to Italy (1960). He died on 8 April 1978 in Bad Reichenhall, Bavaria, Germany.- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Peter Kreuder was born on 18 August 1905 in Aachen, Germany. He was a composer and actor, known for Suite Française (2014), Inglourious Basterds (2009) and Valkyrie (2008). He was married to Ingrid Wallisch, Sophie Eschenbach, Gertrud Kathreiner and Erna Sachse. He died on 28 June 1981 in Salzburg, Austria.- Composer
- Music Department
Peter Sandloff was born on 3 July 1924 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a composer, known for Viele kamen vorbei (1956), The Return of Dr. Mabuse (1961) and Löwengrube (1989). He died on 17 December 2009 in Berlin, Germany.- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Peter Schirmann was born on 31 July 1935 in Berlin, Germany. He was a composer, known for Nosferatu (1922), Destiny (1921) and Das Mädchen von Hongkong (1973). He died on 19 September 2021 in Berlin, Germany.- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Peter Thomas was born on 1 December 1925 in Breslau, Silesia, Germany [now Wroclaw, Dolnoslaskie, Poland]. He was a composer and actor, known for Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), The Big Boss (1971) and Escape to Berlin (1961). He was married to Cordy Thomas. He died on 17 May 2020 in Lugano, Cantone Ticino, Switzerland.- Composer
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Popol Vuh is known for Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972), Sightseers (2012) and A Bigger Splash (2015).- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Raimund Rosenberger was born on 17 October 1917 in Munich, Germany. He was a composer and actor, known for Interpol (1963), Der Fluch der gelben Schlange (1963) and Mein Schulfreund (1960). He died on 29 October 1990 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany.- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Rainer Kühn is known for Bang Boom Bang - Ein todsicheres Ding (1999), Chanceyville (2003) and Epitaph of a Royal Gourmet.- Composer
- Writer
- Music Department
Composer and author, he came to the US in 1938. He wrote the stage scores for "White Horse Inn (Berlin and New York)", "Meet My Sister (New York)", "The Apaches Cocktail", and "Casanova". He joined ASCAP in 1945, and his chief musical collaborator was Irving Caesar. His popular-song compositions include "White Horse Inn", "I Cannot Live Without Your Love", and "Always In My Heart".- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Ralph Erwin was born on 31 October 1896 in Bielitz, Silesia, Austria-Hungary [now Bielsko-Biala, Slaskie, Poland]. He was a composer, known for An Education (2009), A Girl You Don't Forget (1932) and Malle gevallen (1934). He died on 15 May 1943 in Beaune-la-Rolande, Loiret, France.- Music Department
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Reinhold Heil is a German-born, L.A.-based Golden Globe nominated film and television composer. Prior to Reinhold's career as a film composer, he was known throughout Europe for his monster synth chops. At 21, he became a fixture in the Berlin music scene as the keyboardist of a popular jazz funk fusion band, marrying jazz, rock, and electronica into a sound all his own. Soon after, Reinhold toured Europe as the keyboardist, co-producer, and co-writer of the legendary German punk band The Nina Hagen Band and later Spliff, one of Germany's most popular rock bands of the 1980s. Reinhold was also a prolific music producer. "99 Luftballoons," which he produced for Nena, went platinum, topping the charts worldwide and becoming one of the most successful non-English language songs in US history.
Reinhold's career as a film composer began in 1999 with the pioneering electronic score to Tom Tykwer's international art house sensation, "Run Lola Run." "Run Lola Run" was the first film to have a techno score that was not comprised of pre-existing music, but was scored directly to picture.
Experimentation and innovation are integral to Reinhold's creative process, as is a passionately hands-on approach to music production, mixing, and engineering. Reinhold is a multi-instrumentalist. He owns a vast collection of obscure musical instruments and vintage synths, which often find their way into his scores as organic and electronic custom sounds.
Reinhold's film and TV scores include "One Hour Photo," "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer," "The International," "Cloud Atlas," "Deadwood," "Berlin Station," "Helix," and "Deutschland 83." Despite the contemporary nature of Reinhold's sounds, his themes and melodies are employed to maximally support the story's narrative and the protagonists' emotional worlds. His distinctive musical signature is characterized by harmonic complexity, emotional resonance, unconventional chord progressions, and unique hybrid soundscapes.- Music Department
- Writer
- Composer
Robert Gilbert was born on 29 September 1899 in Berlin, Germany. He was a writer and composer, known for Chocolat (2000), Suspiria (2018) and The Wind Rises (2013). He was married to Gisela Scholz and Elisabeth. He died on 20 March 1978 in Minusio, Tessin, Switzerland.- Director
- Writer
- Editor
Roland Klick was born on 4 July 1939 in Hof, Bavaria, Germany. He is a director and writer, known for Supermarket (1974), Deadlock (1970) and Bübchen (1968). He was previously married to Marlis Klick.- Composer
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Roland Kovac was born on 7 November 1927 in Vienna, Austria. He was a composer and actor, known for Lautlose Jagd (1965), Samanka (1982) and 48 Stunden bis Acapulco (1967). He was married to Claudia Doren. He died on 20 February 2013 in Samedan, Graubünden, Switzerland.- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Rolf Marbot was born on 28 May 1906 in Breslau, Silesia, Germany [now Wroclaw, Dolnoslaskie, Poland]. He was a composer, known for Die grausame Freundin (1932), Mädchen in Uniform (1931) and The Living Dead (1932). He died on 22 August 1974 in Cannes, Alpes-Maritimes, France.- Composer
- Actor
Sal Paradise is known for Alpha City (1985), Die Story (1984) and Day by Day - A Digital Diary (2021).- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Siegfried Franz was born on 14 August 1913 in Mannheim, Germany. He was a composer, known for Cliff Dexter (1966), The Devil Strikes at Night (1957) and Escape from Sahara (1958). He was married to Dorothea Reimann. He died on 18 March 1998 in Hamburg, Germany.- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Guitarist and composer Sigfried "Sigi" Schwab was born on August 5, 1940 in Ludwigshafen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Schwab has played guitar in a wide variety of musical styles that include jazz, pop, rock, R&B, and baroque. Moreover, Sigi has not only played guitar with the German bands Et Cetera and Embryo, but also has played with percussionist Ramesh Shotham as well as has performed on an enormous volume of recordings for both film and television. Schwab contributed to the scores of several movies directed by legendary Spanish maverick filmmaker Jesús Franco in the early 1970's. Sigi played with Dutch flutist and composer Chris Hinze at the 5th North Sea Jazz Festival in 1980. In addition, Schwab has also published several books about various guitar playing styles.- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
The pioneering German collective Tangerine Dream has been delivering their distinctive style of ambient music for nearly three decades, laying down a foundation of sound textures and sonic imagery that has influenced many of today's electronic musicians. Founded in 1967 by fine art aficinado Edgar Froese the group released their first album, "Electronic Meditation" in 1970, and, through many different line-ups in proceeding years, delivered a unique brand of space-rock, making use of electronic instruments like synths and Mellotron, along traditional instruments like rock guitar and blues harmonica. Their work on William Friedkin's Sorcerer (1977) was the beginning of many film projects that the group would undertake throughout the 1980s, including Thief (1981) and The Keep (1983), both directed by Michael Mann, Legend (1985) by Ridley Scott, Near Dark (1987) by Kathryn Bigelow and the boxoffice hit Risky Business (1983) with Tom Cruise. Throughout the 1990s, the group has been as active as ever, releasing as many as five albums a year, including remastered versions of early material.- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Theo Mackeben was born on 5 January 1897 in Preußisch Stargard, West Prussia, Germany [now Starogard Gdanski, Pomorskie, Poland]. He was a composer and actor, known for Suite Française (2014), The Way to Freedom (1941) and Patriots (1937). He was married to Loni Heuser and Toni Neft. He died on 10 January 1953 in Berlin, Germany.- Writer
- Composer
- Producer
Director, writer, producer and composer Tom Tykwer was born in 1965 in Wuppertal, Germany. He showed an interest in film-making from childhood, making super 8 films from the age of 11. Among his first jobs was working at a local art-house cinema. Tykwer eventually relocated to Berlin, first working as a film projectionist and then becoming head of programming at the Moviemento Theater.
Tykwer's friend, the director Rosa von Praunheim, encouraged him to experiment with film-making and the result was the short Because (2001). Other short films followed, and in 1993 Tykwer made his first full length feature Deadly Maria (1993). Tykwer's international breakthrough came in 1998 with Run Lola Run (1998), which was a hit with both audiences and critics alike. The film garnered many awards and was the most successful German film of the year.
Subsequent projects include Heaven (2002), Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), The International (2009) and the ambitious epic Cloud Atlas (2012).- Actor
- Music Department
- Composer
Udo Jürgens was born on 30 September 1934 in Klagenfurt, Carinthia, Austria. He was an actor and composer, known for I've Never Been to New York (2019), Der Mann mit dem Fagott (2011) and Montana Trap (1976). He was married to Corinna Reinhold and Erika Meier. He died on 21 December 2014 in Münsterlingen, Thurgau, Switzerland.- Music Artist
- Music Department
- Actor
Udo Lindenberg was born on 17 May 1946 in Gronau, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He is a music artist and actor, known for Panische Zeiten (1980), Super (1984) and Atlantic Affairs (2002).- Composer
- Music Department
- Production Manager
Walter Jurmann was born on 12 October 1903 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary [now Austria]. He was a composer and production manager, known for A Night at the Opera (1935), Judy (2019) and Tout pour l'amour (1933). He was married to Yvonne Jellinek. He died on 17 June 1971 in Budapest, Hungary.- Composer
- Music Department
Walter Kubiczeck was born on 7 October 1931 in Berlin, Germany. He was a composer, known for Das unsichtbare Visier (1973), Der Lude (1984) and Liebesfallen (1976). He died on 21 January 2009 in Berlin, Germany.- Music Department
- Composer
- Actor
Werner Richard Heymann was active as a classical composer in Berlin from 1912. By the end of the decade, he also wrote songs for cabaret and served as musical director for Max Reinhardt from 1918 to 1919. In films with Ufa from 1923, he initially worked as assistant to the head of the music department Erno Rapee, before replacing the latter in 1926. Heymann remained under contract until 1933 as musical director and composer, scoring several classic films for F.W. Murnau and Fritz Lang. He also established himself as among the foremost writers of songs for film operetta, creating hits for popular fare like Three from the Filling Station (1930) and Bombs Over Monte Carlo (1931).
Forced to flee from Nazi persecution because of his Jewish background, Heymann made his way to Hollywood via Paris and London. There, he was noted particularly for scoring two of Ernst Lubitsch's best films: Ninotchka (1939) and To Be or Not to Be (1942). Heymann returned to Germany in 1951 where he resumed writing film scores and songs for the theatre until his death in 1961.- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Werner Scharfenberger was born on 25 September 1925 in Regensburg, Germany. He was a composer and actor, known for Mein Schatz ist aus Tirol (1958), Blaue Jungs (1957) and Conny und Peter machen Musik (1960). He died on 5 July 2001 in Lugano, Switzerland.- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Willy Mattes was born on 4 January 1916 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary [now Austria]. He was a composer and actor, known for Madame X (1966), Never Look Away (2018) and Liebe ist ja nur ein Märchen (1955). He was married to Christel Schaack and Margit Symo. He died on 30 July 2002 in Salzburg, Austria.- Composer
- Actor
- Writer
Winfried Zillig was born on 1 April 1905 in Würzburg, Bavaria, Germany. He was a composer and actor, known for Jonas (1957), Schwarzer Jäger Johanna (1934) and Die Andere (1949). He died on 17 December 1963 in Hamburg, West Germany.- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Wolfgang Dauner was born on 30 December 1935 in Stuttgart, Germany. He was a composer, known for Faust (1926), Tatort (1970) and Becks letzter Sommer (2015). He was married to Randi Bubat. He died on 10 January 2020 in Stuttgart, Germany.- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
Wolfgang Zeller was born on 18 September 1893 in Biesenrode, Mansfeld, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. He was a composer and actor, known for Goal in the Clouds (1939), Vampyr (1932) and Prix de beauté (Miss Europe) (1930). He died on 11 January 1967 in Berlin, Germany.