Henry Mancini

Composer Henry Mancini was born in Cleveland, Ohio on April 16, 1924.

He studied at Carnegie Technical Music School with instructors Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Ernst Krenek and Alfred Sendry. After graduating, he began his career as a pianist in dance orchestras in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania before entering World War II. Returning to the States in 1945, Mancini worked as the pianist and arranger for the Tex Beneke orchestra and then as the staff composer for Universal film studios from 1951 through 1957.

The Mancini filmography is one of the most extensive and honored in history including scores for films like The Glenn Miller Story, The Benny Goodman Story, Touch of Evil, Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961 Academy Award for Best Score), High Time, Bachelor in Paradise, Charade, Man’s Favorite Sport, Days of Wine and Roses, The Pink Panther, A Shot in the Dark, The Great Imposter, Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation, Hatari, Experiment In Terror, Soldier in the Rain, Dear Heart, The Great Race, Arabesque and Moment to Moment.

Mancini also wrote the background scores for the television shows Peter Gunn (winning the Grammy award for best score in 1958) and Mr. Lucky.

Collaborating with lyricists Johnny Mercer, Mack David, Ray Evans and Jay Livingston, Mancini produced such hits as “Moon River” (1951 Academy and Grammy awards for best song in a film), “Mr. Lucky” (Grammy Award for best song 1950), “Peter Gunn”, “Bachelor in Paradise”, “Baby Elephant Walk”, “Days of Wine and Roses” (1962 Academy and Grammy awards for best song in a film), “Dreamsville”, “Soft Touch”, “Blue Satin”, “March of the Cue Balls”, “I Love You and Don’t You Forget It”, “Charade”, “A Shot in the Dark”, “The Shadows of Paris”, “How Soon?”, “It Had Better Be Tonight”, “Song About Love”, “Dear Heart”, “Angel in DisguiseÔø?¸ “Make Love to Me”, “I Simply Adore You” and “When You Look in Your Looking Glass."