J. A. C. Redford

Biography

Jonathan Alfred Clawson Redford (b. July 14, 1953, Los Angeles, Calif.) is an American composer, arranger, orchestrator, and conductor. His extensive career spans film, television, the concert hall, and theater, showcasing a remarkable versatility that draws on a wide range of musical influences from symphonic music and opera to The Beatles, jazz artists, and classic film composers.

Biography and Education

Redford began his musical journey in his teens, playing in and arranging music for rock 'n' roll bands. In his early twenties, he started scoring documentaries and educational films, which provided an introduction to composing for the cinema. After moving to Los Angeles in the mid-1970s, he transitioned to television scores, beginning as a co-composer for Starsky & Hutch.

During a period in the 1980s when a musicians' strike halted film and TV recording, Redford used the opportunity to further his formal musical education. He studied composition and counterpoint with Hal Johnson and Thomas Pasatieri, and conducting with Frederick Zweig. He also took a master's class in film composition at UCLA.

Career and Notable Works

Since 1976, Redford has simultaneously dedicated his work to film and television, the concert hall, chamber artists, choral ensembles, and the theater.

Film and Television

Redford's extensive work in film and television includes scoring for over 500 episodes of television, such as multiple seasons of Coach and St. Elsewhere.

Composing: He composed the score for the Disney animated film Oliver & Company, and for multiple other award-winning films.

Orchestration and Arrangement: He has orchestrated the scores for dozens of major films, including Avatar, WALL-E, 1917, Finding Dory, and Skyfall. For the last of these, he also arranged and conducted the Oscar-winning title song sung by Adele.

Awards and Honors

Redford was a two-time nominee for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score) for his work on St. Elsewhere (1985).

His music has been featured globally in venues such as the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Lincoln Center in New York, and London's Royal Albert Hall.

In the realm of concert music, he composed the Raymond W. Brock Memorial Commission for the American Choral Directors Association's 2017 National Conference.