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James S. Levine

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James Scott Levine (born 1974) is an American composer and member of Remote Control Productions.[1] He has won seven BMI awards and seven ASCAP awards.[2] His credits include the films Running with Scissors, Delta Farce, and The Weather Man, and the television shows Nip/Tuck, Glee, The Closer, Rizzoli & Isles, and American Horror Story.[3] He has also provided additional music for films such as Madagascar, Pearl Harbor, and Something's Gotta Give.

Early life

James Levine grew up in Medford, Massachusetts,[4] where he played multiple instruments in various genres. The main instrument he played growing up was the piano, performing at multiple events growing up. At the age of 13 Levine shifted his focus from playing the piano, to learning Jazz, as well as improvisation. Composers that Levine looked up to when he was younger were Mozart, Morricone and James Newton Howard. He is of Jewish heritage.[5]

Levine attended Tufts University, where he was originally a pre-med student. However he switched subject areas,[4] and subsequently in college Levine studied Sociology and Musicology, and got his degree in American Studies. He graduated from Tufts in 1996.[4]

Career

Levine came to Hollywood in 1997 to begin his career as a composer, leaving behind money and family. He first started off his career by doing intern work around Los Angeles.[6]

James Levine is a composer for shows like American Horror Story, Glee, Nip/Tuck, Royal Pains and The Closer.

The music for American Horror Story is one of his most known works, receiving many awards such as the Best Music in a Series, Best music in a non-series, and has been nominated for outstanding sound mixing for television movies and miniseries two years in a row. Due to the success of his music he has continued to create music for the show. His work on Glee has also won him many awards and he has gone on to keep composing for the show until the final season.

Composing

Year Title Notes
1990 The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera Short
1999 Chill Factor Film (Additional music for Hans Zimmer and John Powell)
A Little Inside Film
2000 Die Motorrad-Cops – Hart am Limit [de] TV series
2001 Siren Film
About Barbers Short
2003 Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie Documentary
Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast Short
The Challenge TV movie
The In-Laws Film
2003–2010 Nip/Tuck TV series
2003 SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Video game (Composed with Robert Crew and Alex Wilkinson)
2004 The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie Video game (Composed with Robert Crew, John O'Kennedy, Barry Fasman and Beth Ertz)
Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again TV documentary
2005 More Sex and the Single Mom TV movie
Roar: Lions of the Kalahari Documentary short
Madagascar Film (Additional music for Hans Zimmer)
The Weather Man Film (Co-composer with Hans Zimmer)
2005–2012 The Closer TV series
2006 3 lbs TV series
Running with Scissors Film
American Storage Short
Ajax Short
2007 Hidden Palms TV series
Delta Farce Film
2007–2012 Damages TV series
2008 Otis Film
2008–2009 Raising the Bar TV series
2009–2015 Glee TV series
2009–2012 Royal Pains TV series
2009–2010 NCIS: Los Angeles TV series
2009 SpongeBob's Truth or Square Video game (Archived music from SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom and The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie)
2010 Outlaw TV series
2010–2016 Rizzoli & Isles TV series
2011 Glee: The 3D Concert Movie Documentary
2011–2014 American Horror Story TV series (40 episodes, composed with Mac Quayle)
2012–2018 Major Crimes TV series
2012–2013 The New Normal TV series
2013 Do No Harm TV series
The Blacklist TV series (3 episodes, replaced by Dave Porter)
2014–2018 The Last Ship TV series (Composed with James Dooley)
2019 Chambers TV series
Soundtrack TV series (Composed with Andrew McMahon and Zac Clark)
2020 Katy Keene TV series
2020–2021 For Life TV series (Composed with Dustin O'Halloran)
2020 SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated Video game (Archived and remastered music from the original Battle for Bikini Bottom)
2021–present La Brea TV series

Awards

Year Association Category Nominated work Result
2001 BMI Award What About Joan? Won
2005 BMI Award Nip/Tuck Won
2008 BMI Award The Closer Won
2011 ASCAP Award Top TV Series Glee Won
2012 Online Film & Television Association Award Best Music in a Series American Horror Story Won
2012 ASCAP Award Top TV Series Glee Won
2013 ASCAP Award Top TV Series Glee Won
2013 ASCAP Award Top Television Series Major Crimes Won
2013 ASCAP Award Top Television Series The New Normal Won
2013 ASCAP Award Top Television Series Royal Pains Won
2013 ASCAP Award Most Performed Themes and Underscore Won
2013 Emmy Award Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie, or a Special American Horror Story: Coven Nominated
2013 Cinema Audio Society Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Movies and Mini-Series American Horror Story: Asylum Nominated
2013 Online Film & Television Association Award Best Music in a Non-Series American Horror Story Won
2014 Cinema Audio Society Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Movies and Mini-Series American Horror Story Nominated
2014 Online Film & Television Association Award Best Music in a Non-Series American Horror Story Nominated

References

  1. ^ Jon, Burlingame (7 May 2014). "Remote Control Prods.: Hans Zimmer's Music Factory as a Breeding Ground". Variety. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  2. ^ Variety, Staff (14 August 2014). "Creative Arts Emmys 2014 Winners and Nominees". Variety. Retrieved 7 June 2016.
  3. ^ "Oh, the Horror: Master Session with James S. Levine". 2013 ASCAP Expo. 18 April 2013. Archived from the original on 14 August 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
  4. ^ a b c Menconi, David (Spring 2016). "So Many Notes, So Little Time". Tufts Magazine. pp. 40–41.
  5. ^ "VAULT EXCLUSIVE: Q&A Nathan Barr and FX Composers". 13 June 2014.
  6. ^ Eric, Rangle (1 April 2014). "James Levine Reveals the Horrors (and Joys) of Composing". ASCAP. Retrieved 7 June 2016.