William Goldstein

William Goldstein
Born (1942-02-25) February 25, 1942 (age 82)
Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Occupations
  • Musician
  • composer
  • pianist
  • record producer
  • opinion journalist
Years active1975–present
Musical career
OriginNewark, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres
Instruments
Labels
Websitewww.williamgoldstein.com

William Goldstein (born February 25, 1942) is an American composer, recording artist, arts philosopher and improvisational pianist.[1][2][3]

Goldstein has received three Emmy nominations and one Grammy nomination for his scores Fame, Hello Again, and Shocker. He has been signed as a recording artist to Motown Records and CBS Masterworks.[4][5] Goldstein has written arts commentary for public media including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and CBS News.[6][7][8][9]

Biography

Early life and career

Raised in Lakewood Township, New Jersey, Goldstein graduated from Lakewood High School.[10] Goldstein is Jewish.

While in high school, Goldstein learned to play trumpet to join the high school band. Upon graduating, he continued on a joint program with Trenton State College in New Jersey for music education and the Juilliard School once a week to study trumpet.[11] During the draft years of the Vietnam War, he became composer in residence for the United States Army Band.

Career

Goldstein was signed to Columbia Picture Screen Gems. He was discovered by Berry Gordy, who brought Goldstein to Los Angeles, as a Motown recording artist, composer and producer.[12][13][14] Goldstein has composed film and television soundtracks film and television, notably the television series Fame and The Twilight Zone.[15][16][17]

Goldstein also composed the soundtrack for the computer game King's Quest IV.[18] It was the first computer game to have its soundtrack written for the Roland MT-32.

Instant Composition

Goldstein composes in real time, reviving the art of “instant composition”.He creates ballets with dancers of international renown, improvising complete scores to films that he is seeing for the first time;[19][20] In 2011, Goldstein as invited by the Transatlantyk International Film and Music Festival in Poznan, Poland, to give Master Classes on the "Art of Instant Composition". Goldstein records as a solo composer and collaboratively.

Educator and masterclasses

As an educator and performer of live composition, Goldstein teaches masterclasses and travels internationally.[21]

Discography

Main article: William Goldstein

Studio albums

  • Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack "Bingo Long Traveling All Stars & Motor Kings" (1976)
  • The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings:
  • Remembrance of Live (1982)
  • A Talent For Murder (1984)
  • Oceanscape (1986)
  • Saving Grace (1986)
  • Liberty (Original Television Soundtrack) (1986)
  • Hello Again (Original Soundtrack) (1987)
  • Switched on Classics (1987)
  • Switched On Hollywood (1988)
  • Wes Craven's Shocker (The Score) (1989)
  • Shocker (1989)
  • The Quarrel (1992)
  • A Tribute To Jacques Cousteau (1993)
  • William Goldstein, Basil Poledouris - Danielle Steel's Zoya (CD, Album) (1995)
  • Motown...Fame...& Beyond: A Retrospective of Songs By William Goldstein (1995)
  • Danielle Steel's Zoya (1995)
  • Saving Grace (1997)
  • Miracle At Midnight (1998)
  • First Impressions: Emotionally Connective Impromptus Of Life (1999)
  • The Great White Shark (2003)
  • Switched on Classics (2008)
  • William Goldstein in Concert (2008)
  • Fame (2008)
  • Eye for an Eye (2008)
  • Forced Vengeance (2008)
  • The Miracle Worker (2009)
  • Sound Scapes, 4our Movements for Piano and Vibraphone (2009)
  • French Connection (2009)
  • Force Five (2009)
  • Spiritual Electronica (2009)
  • Getting Physical (2009)
  • Blood River (2009)
  • Blood Vows: The Story of a Mafia Wife (2010)
  • Isn't It Romantic, Musical portraits from the heart (2010)
  • Living Treasures of Japan (2010)
  • Getting Physical (2009)
  • Mysteries of the Mind (2010)
  • Living Sands of Nambi
  • The Aliens Are Coming (2012)
  • Marilyn: The Untold Story (2012)
  • In the Moment (2012)
  • A Connecticut Yankeed in the King Arthur's Courty (2013).
  • On a Summer Afternoon (2013)
  • My First Filem Score: The Stoolie (2014)
  • Oki in the Middle of the Ocean (2014)
  • Up the Creek (2014)
  • Jewish Soul (2014)
  • Just like Dad (2014)
  • Soul of an Actor (2014)
  • Twilight Zone (2015)
  • In Times of Loss: Music to Heal & Inspire (2015)
  • Evocations (2015)
  • The Three Kings: A Christmas Story (2015)
  • Remembrance Of Love (2016)
  • Instant Composition: Continuing the Tradition of Mozart (2016)
  • Musing (2016)
  • Intensity (2017)
  • A Life in Three Notes (2017)
  • Onceanscape Volume II (2018)
  • A Long Way Home (2019)
  • Innocence: Musical Portraits of the Inner Child (2019)
  • King's Quest IV (2019)
  • The White Lions (2019)
  • Muses (2020)
  • The Bach Effect: Back & Inspired by Bach (2021)
  • A French Suite (2021)
  • Jennifer: a Woman's Story (2021)
  • Collaborative Composition: Created in the Moment (2021)
  • Lots of Luck (2021)
  • Hero in the Family (2022)
  • Brushstrokes: The Intersection of Art & Music (2022)

Compilation albums

  • The Best of William Goldstein Motown (2009)
  • William Goldstein Songbook (2013)
  • Inspired (2016)

References

  1. ^ McClendon, Lamarco (August 5, 2016). "Motown Recording Artist Revives Lost Art of 'Instant Composition'". Variety. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  2. ^ "William Goldstein On the Art of Instant Composition". BMI.com. September 8, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  3. ^ Hankewitz, Sten (November 21, 2022). "American composer to create music for an Estonian documentary in real time". Estonian World. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  4. ^ "William Goldstein". Television Academy. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  5. ^ "Recording Academy Grammy Awards". www.grammy.com. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  6. ^ Goldstein, William (October 16, 2005). "Opinion | Final Stages". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  7. ^ "Opinion: Academy Awards: It's about art, not political correctness". Los Angeles Times. February 21, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  8. ^ Goldstein, William (January 26, 2016). "Op-Ed: I'd like to thank the Academy...for capitulating to the PC police". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  9. ^ "Academy reforms spark backlash". www.cbsnews.com. January 28, 2016. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  10. ^ "Success is habit forming to Goldstein", Asbury Park Press, October 22, 1980. Accessed February 11, 2023, via Newspapers.com. "Success is getting to be a habit with William Goldstein, a film composer and arranger who grew up in Lakewood.... Goldstein was graduated from Lakewood High School, Trenton State College, the Manhattan School of Music and Juilliard School of Music."
  11. ^ "William Goldstein On the Art of Instant Composition". BMI.com. September 8, 2021. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  12. ^ McClendon, Lamarco (August 5, 2016). "Motown Recording Artist Revives Lost Art of 'Instant Composition'". Variety. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  13. ^ "William Goldstein | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  14. ^ "William Goldstein Albums and Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  15. ^ "William Goldstein | Movies and Filmography". AllMovie. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  16. ^ "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  17. ^ "William Goldstein Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More". AllMusic. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  18. ^ "William Goldstein - King's Quest IV". Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  19. ^ Rabinowitz, Chloe (September 20, 2021). "COLLABORATIVE COMPOSITION: CREATED IN THE MOMENT Album Showcases William Goldstein & Guest Soloists". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  20. ^ McClendon, Lamarco (August 5, 2016). "Motown Recording Artist Revives Lost Art of 'Instant Composition'". Variety. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  21. ^ "A Dream Deferred, But Still Realized". Teachers College - Columbia University. Retrieved February 10, 2023.