Tuesday (8/7) in a Reuters report published on the Orlando Sentinel website and other news outlets, Brent Lang writes, “Composer and conductor Marvin Hamlisch, best known for the torch song ‘The Way We Were,’ died Monday. He was 68 years old. Hamlisch collapsed after a brief illness, his family announced. In a career that spanned over four decades, Hamlisch won virtually every major award: three Oscars, four Grammys, four Emmys, a Tony, and three Golden Globes. Hamlisch composed more than forty motion picture scores, including his Oscar-winning score and song for ‘The Way We Were,’ and his adaptation of Scott Joplin’s ragtime music for ‘The Sting,’ for which he received a third Oscar. … On Broadway, Hamlisch’s output was more mixed, but he did have a smash hit with ‘A Chorus Line,’ which received the Pulitzer Prize. Other works such as ‘The Goodbye Girl’ and ‘Sweet Smell of Success,’ garnered some critical praise, but were never fully embraced by audiences. … At the time of his death, Hamlisch held the position of Principal Pops Conductor for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Pasadena Symphony and Pops, Seattle Symphony, and San Diego Symphony. Next week, he was to be announced as the Principal Pops Conductor of The Philadelphia Orchestra. Hamlisch was also due to conduct the New York Philharmonic in its upcoming New Year’s Eve concert.”
Posted August 7, 2012
