Andre Previn Biography (1930-)

Real name, Andreas Ludwig Priwin; born April 6, 1930 (some sources say 1929),in Berlin, Germany; immigrated to the United States, 1938; became a naturalized citizen of the United States, 1943; son of Jack (a lawyer, judge, and music teacher) and Charlotte (Epstein) Priwin; nephew of Charles Previn (head ofmusic at Universal Studios); married Dory Langdon (a lyricist, poet, and author), 1959 (divorced 1970); married Mia Farrow (an actress), September 10, 1970 (divorced, 1979); married Heather Hales, January, 1982; children: (secondmarriage) Matthew, Sascha, Fletcher, Lark, Soon-Yi (Daisy); (third marriage)Lukas. Career: Musician, composer, and conductor. Recording artist forvarious labels, 1945--; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, rehearsal pianist, beginning c.1946; conductor, musical director, and musical supervisor for films and television productions, beginning in 1949; Houston Symphony, Houston, TX, conductor-in-chief, 1967-69; London Symphony Orchestra, London, England, principal conductor, 1968-79; South Bank Music Festival, London, England, music director, 1972-74; Pittsburgh Symphony, Pittsburgh, PA, music director, 1976-84; LosAngeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles, CA, music director, 1984-89; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, England, music director, 1985-88, principal conductor, 1985-91; London Symphony Orchestra, conductor laureate, 1992--; guest conductor for various orchestras around the world. Faculty member at the Guildhall School, London, England; the Curtis Institute, Philadelphia, PA; and the BerkshireMusic Center. Affiliated with programs at Tanglewood, Lenox, MA. Militaryservice: U.S. Army, 1950-51. Member: National Composers and Conductors League, British Composers Guild, Dramatists Guild, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Awards, Honors: Academy Award nomination, bestscoring of a musical picture, 1950, for Three Little Words; Academy Award nomination (with Saul Chaplin), best scoring of a musical picture, 1953,for Kiss Me Kate; Academy Award nomination, best scoring of a musicalpicture, 1955, for It's Always Fair Weather; Academy Award, best scoring of a musical picture, and Grammy Award, best album or original instrumental score for a motion picture or for television, both 1958, for Gigi;Grammy Award nomination (with David Rose and His Orchestra), best orchestra recording, 1958, for Young Man's Lament; Grammy Award (with David Roseand His Orchestra), best jazz instrumental performance--solo or small group,and Grammy Award nominations (with David Rose and His Orchestra), record of the year and best jazz soloist, all 1959, for Like Young; Grammy Awardnomination (with David Rose and His Orchestra), song of the year, 1959, for "Like Young"; Academy Award (with Ken Darby), best scoring of a musical picture, and Grammy Award (with Ken Darby), best album or original instrumental score for a motion picture or for television, both 1959, for Porgy and Bess. Academy Award nomination (with Dory Langdon), best song, 1960, for "Faraway Part of Town," from Pepe; Grammy Award, best jazz instrumental performance--large group, 1960, for West Side Story; Academy Award nomination, best scoring of a dramatic or comedy picture, 1961, for Elmer Gantry; Academy Award nomination, best scoring of a musical picture, 1961, for Bells Are Ringing; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding achievement in music, 1961, for The Donald O'Connor Show; Grammy Award, best jazz instrumental performance--solo or small group, 1961, for Andre Previn Plays Harold Arlen; Grammy Award nominations, best jazz--large group (instrumental) and best orchestra--other than dancing, 1961, both for A Touch of Elegance; Academy Award nomination (with Dory Langdon), best song, 1962, for "Song from Two for the Seesaw (Second Chance)," from Two for the Seesaw;Academy Award, best scoring of music--adaptation or treatment, 1963, for Irma la Douce; Grammy Award nomination (with Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, and Shelly Manne), best jazz--soloist or small group, 1963, for 4 to Go!; Grammy Award nomination, best orchestra or instrumentalist with orchestra--notjazz or dancing, 1963, for Andre Previn in Hollywood; Academy Award,best scoring of music--adaptation or treatment, and Grammy Award nomination,best jazz--soloist or small group, both 1964, for My Fair Lady; GrammyAward nomination (with Erick Friedman), best chamber music performance--instrumental or vocal, 1966, for Sonata in G Minor for Violin and Piano; Academy Award nomination (with Joseph Gershenson), best scoring of music--adaptation or treatment, 1967, for Thoroughly Modern Millie; Grammy Awardnomination, best original score--motion picture or television special, 1968,for Valley of the Dolls; Grammy Award nomination, best classical performance--orchestra, 1968, for Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade. AntoinettePerry Award nomination (with Alan Jay Lerner), best musical, Grammy Award nomination (with Alan Jay Lerner), best score from an original cast show album,1970, both for Coco; Grammy Award nomination (with the London Symphony), best classical performance--orchestra, 1971, for Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 4 in F Minor; Grammy Award nomination, best choral performance--other than opera, 1972, for Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky; Grammy Awardnomination (with the London Symphony), best classical performance--orchestra, 1973, for Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet(complete ballet); Grammy Award(with Arthur Oldman and the London Symphony Orchestra), best classical choral performance--other than opera, 1973, for Walton: Belshazzar's Feast;Academy Award nomination (with Herbert W. Spencer and Andrew Lloyd Webber),best original or adapted musical scoring, 1973, for Jesus Christ Superstar; Grammy Award nomination (with the London Symphony Orchestra), best classical performance--orchestra, 1974, for Holst: The Planets; Grammy Award nomination (with Itzhak Perlman), best chamber music performance, 1975, for Joplin; Emmy Award nomination (with others), outstanding classical music program, 1976, for "Live from Lincoln Center," Great Performances; Grammy Award (with Arthur Oldham and the London Symphony Orchestra), best classical choral performance other than opera, 1976, for Rachmaninoff: TheBells; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding musical director, 1977, for Previn and the Pittsburgh; Mozart As Keyboard Prodigy; Grammy Award nomination (with Christopher Bishop), best classical performance orchestra, 1977,for Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake; Grammy Award nomination (with ChristopherBishop and the London Symphony Orchestra), best classical performance orchestra, 1978, for Messiaen: Turangalila Symphony; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding musical director, 1978, for Previn and the Pittsburgh; The Music That Made the Movies; Grammy Award nomination (with Suvi Raj Grubb), best classical performance orchestra, 1979, for Mahler: Symphony No. 4 in GMajor; Grammy Award nomination (with Richard Hickox, Keith Walters, and others), best choral performance--other than opera, 1979, for Britten: Spring Symphony. Grammy Award nomination (with Suvi Raj Grubb), best classical performance--orchestra, 1981, for Gershwin: Porgy and Bess (Symphonic Picture)/Cuban Overture and Second Rhapsody; Grammy Award nomination (withthe Vienna Wind Soloists), best chamber music performance, 1985, for Mozart: Piano and Wind Quartet in E Flat/Beethoven: Piano and Wind Quintet in E Flat; Grammy Award nomination (with Yo-Yo Ma and the London Symphony Orchestra), best classical performance--instrumental soloist with an orchestra, 1985, for Elgar: Cello Concerto, Op. 85/Walton: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra; Grammy Award nomination (with Kathleen Battle and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra), best classical vocal soloist performance, 1986, for Mozart: Kathleen Battle Sings Mozart; Grammy Award nomination (with others), best choral performance (other than opera), 1987, for Tippett: A Child of Our Time; knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, 1996; Kennedy Center honoree, 1998; National Gramophone Society Award; honorary degrees from the Curtis Institute, the Royal Academy, and Guild Hall School/Duquensne University. Addresses: Office: c/o Columbia Artists, 165 West 57th St., New York, NY 10019-2201; Barbican Centre, Silk St., London EC2Y 8DS, England.; Contact: 8 Sherwood Ln., Bedford Hills, NY 10507.

Nationality
German
Gender
Male
Occupation
Musician, composer, conductor
Birth Details
April 6, 1930
Berlin, Germany

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