Alan Silvestri

Alan Anthony Silvestri (born March 26, 1950) is an Academy Award-nominated American film score composer and conductor.

Life and career

Silvestri was born in New York City. He studied guitar at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, but dropped out after two years to tour with Wayne Cochran and the C.C. Riders.

Silvestri is best known for his numerous collaborations with director Robert Zemeckis, having scored Romancing the Stone (1984), the Back to the Future trilogy (1985, 1989, 1990), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), Forrest Gump (1994), Contact (1997), Cast Away (2000), The Polar Express (2004) and Beowulf (2007). He received Oscar nominations for Best Original Score for Forrest Gump^[1], a Best Song for "Believe" on The Polar Express soundtrack, and two Grammy Awards for the music from Cast Away and (with Glen Ballard) the song "Believe" from The Polar Express.

Aside from his collaborations with Zemeckis, Silvestri is known for his work in Predator (1987) and Predator 2 (1990), both of which are considered preeminent examples of action/sci-fi film scores. He has also begun a collaboration with director Stephen Sommers, scoring the films The Mummy Returns in 2001, Van Helsing in 2004 and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra in 2009.

His early style is marked by a strong use of the "octatonic scale," as well as an eclectic use of different notes and instruments.

It was thought that Silvestri was allegedly inspired by the works of Barry DeVorzon, Perry Botkin, Jr., Lalo Schifrin, Jerry Fielding, Jerry Goldsmith and John Williams.^{[by whom?]}

Silvestri grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey^[2] and attended Teaneck High School there.^[3]

Awards

Silvestri has received two Academy Award nominations, one for Best Original Music Score for Forrest Gump (1994) and one for Best Original Song for “Believe” from The Polar Express (2004). He also received a Golden Globe nomination in 1994 for Forrest Gump.

He has also received three Grammy Award nominations, two in the category of Best Score, and one for Best Song, which he won for “Believe” from The Polar Express in 2004.

Filmography

• Cats (1969)
• The Doberman Gang (1972)
• The Mack (1973) (1983 video reissue)
• Las Vegas Lady (1975)
• The Amazing Dobermans (1976)
• The Fifth Floor (1978)
• CHiPs (1978-1983)
• Romancing the Stone (1984)
• Fandango (1985)
• Cat's Eye (1985)
• Back to the Future (1985)
• Summer Rental (1985)
• The Clan of the Cave Bear (1986)
• The Delta Force (1986)
• American Anthem (1986)
• Flight of the Navigator (1986)
• No Mercy (1986)
• Critical Condition (1987)
• Outrageous Fortune (1987)
• Predator (1987)
• Overboard (1987)
• Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
• Mac and Me (1988)
• My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988)
• She's Out of Control (1989)
• The Abyss (1989)
• Back to the Future Part II (1989)
• Downtown (1990)
• Back to the Future Part III (1990)
• Young Guns II (1990)
• Predator 2 (1990)
• Back to the Future: The Ride (1991)
• Soapdish (1991)
• Dutch (1991)
• Shattered (1991)
• Ricochet (1991)
• Father of the Bride (1991)
• Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992)
• FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992)
• Diner (1992)
• Death Becomes Her (1992)
• The Bodyguard (1992)
• Sidekicks (1992)
• In Search of the Obelisk (1993)
• Cop and a Half (1993)
• Super Mario Bros. (1993)
• Judgement Night (1993)
• Grumpy Old Men (1993)
• Clean Slate (1994)
• Forrest Gump (Golden Globe & Oscar Nominee) (1994)
• Blown Away (1994)
• Ri¢hie Ri¢h (1994)
• The Quick and the Dead (1995)
• The Perez Family (1995)
• Judge Dredd (1995)
• Father of the Bride Part II (1995)
• Grumpier Old Men (1995)
• Sgt. Bilko (1996)
• Mission: Impossible (1996) (score withdrawn after 30 mins of recording) (uncredited)YouTube: Mission Impossible climactic scene with original Alan Silvestri score
• Eraser (1996)
• The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)
• Fools Rush In (1997)
• Volcano (1997)
• Contact (1997)
• Mouse Hunt (1997)
• The Odd Couple II (1998)
• The Parent Trap (1998)
• Holy Man (1998)
• Practical Magic (1998)
• Siegfried & Roy: The Magic Box (1999) (IMAX)
• Stuart Little (1999)
• Reindeer Games (2000)
• What Lies Beneath (2000)
• Cast Away (2000)
• What Women Want (2000)
• The Mexican (2001)
• The Mummy Returns (2001)
• Serendipity (2001)
• Showtime (2002)
• Lilo & Stitch (2002)
• Stuart Little 2 (2002)
• Maid in Manhattan (2002)
• Identity (2003)
• Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003)
• Two Soldiers (2003)
• Van Helsing (2004). More info at Van Helsing (soundtrack)
• The Polar Express (Golden Globe & Oscar Nominee) (2004)
• Hard Rock Treasures (2005)
• The Wild (2006)
• Night at the Museum (2006)
• Beowulf (2007)
• Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009) (Score planned to be written by Alan, but due to conflict with G.I. Joe, he only wrote "Butterfly Fly Away")
• Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009)
• G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)
• A Christmas Carol (2009)
• Roger Rabbit 2 (2012)

References

External links

• Alan-Silvestri.com
• Alan Silvestri at Allmusic
• Alan Silvestri at the Internet Movie Database
• Alan Silvestri at Soundtrackguide.net
• Castell'Alfero (Italy) country of Asti of which it is City Honorarium
• Complete Alan Silvestri Discography