Carl Davis’s name needs no introduction. He is one of the most celebrated film and television composers in the world today, with a huge list of productions to his credit.
Born in New York, Carl spent the early years of his career in America before going on to study in Copenhagen. From there he moved to Britain to begin an energetic composing and conducting career in the worlds of classical music, theatre, film and television.
He has received his greatest public recognition for countless film and TV scores, winning BAFTA and Ivor Novello awards for productions such as the epic series The World at War and the film The French Lieutenant’s Woman, starring Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons. Other major film credits include The Understudy, Scandal, Ken Russell’s The Rainbow, and Champions, starring John Hurt. His most recent film is Mike Leigh’s Topsy-Turvy.
Carl’s prolific television work encompasses such landmark productions as Thames TV’s Hollywood series and the BBC’s Far Pavilions, along with countless other dramas and documentaries. In 1995 he wrote the music for the BBC’s hugely popular adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
His memorable score for Abel Gance’s 5-hour masterpiece Napoleon, first performed live at a screening of a restored print of the film in London in 1980, marked the inauguration of the legendary series of Thames Silents (subsequently the Channel 4 Silents), which in turn led to a worldwide revival of interest in silent film. He has now composed scores for over forty classic movies of the 1910s and ‘20s, including Ben-Hur, The Thief of Bagdad and The Phantom of the Opera, which are performed at an ever-increasing number of live screenings all over the world.
Carl has also scored major successes in the world of ballet, for instance with English National Ballet’s highly popular Alice, based on Lewis Carroll’s tales. He is highly active as a conductor with many major British and international orchestras. His work has been featured on The South Bank Show, and he has been honoured with the Ordre de Chevalier des Artes et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture.
