 David Amram
Biography
David Amram has composed more than 100 orchestral and chamber music works, written many scores for Broadway theater and film, including the classic scores for the films "Splendor in The Grass" and "The Manchurian Candidate;" two operas, including the ground-breaking Holocaust opera "The Final Ingredient;" and the score for the landmark 1959 documentary "Pull My Daisy," narrated by novelist Jack Kerouac. He is also the author of two books, "Vibrations," an autobiography, and "Offbeat: Collaborating With Kerouac," a memoir.
A pioneer player of jazz French horn, he is also a virtuoso on piano, numerous
flutes and whistles, percussion, and dozens of folkloric instruments from 25 countries, as well as an inventive, funny improvisational lyricist. He has collaborated with Leonard Bernstein, who chose him as The New York Philharmonic's first composer-in-residence in 1966, Langston Hughes, Dizzy Gillespie, Dustin Hoffman, Willie Nelson, Thelonious Monk, Odetta, Elia Kazan, Arthur Miller, Charles Mingus, Lionel Hampton, E. G. Marshall, and Tito Puente. Amram's most recent work "Giants of the Night" is a flute concerto dedicated to the memory Charlie Parker,
Jack Kerouac and Dizzy Gillespie, three American artists Amram knew and worked with. It was commissioned and recently premiered by Sir James Galway, who also plans to record it. He is also completing his third book Nine Lives of a Musical Cat.
Today, as he has for over fifty years, Amram continues to compose music while traveling the world as a conductor, soloist, bandleader, visiting scholar, and narrator in five languages. He is also currently working with author Frank McCourt on a new setting of the Mass, "Missa Manhattan," as well as on a symphony commissioned by the Guthrie Foundation, "Symphonic Variations on a Song by Woody Guthrie."
Amram and his son live on their family farm in upstate New York, when not on tour.
Booking
If you are interested in scheduling a poetry reading or musical appearance featuring David Amram, or would like more information, please email us at info@redhotpromotions.us or fill out the BOOKINGS page on this web site.
Photo Gallery
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David plays french horn withPercy Heath, bass, and Dizzy Gellespie in a nationally televised all-star gala concert in memory of Thelonious Monk at Constitional Hall in Washington D.C. in the Fall of 1986. Amram, along with the late Julius Watkins has been a pioneer of jazz french horn since the late forties. Amram first played with Gellespie in 1951 in Washington D.C.
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Cuban Tour: Multi-talented musician and composer David Amram is seen here playing two flutes simultaneously while Dizzy Gellespie performs on congas during a ship-board cincert when both were enroute to Cuba for the first ever U.S. State Department good will concert in Havana in the Spring of 1977 in which American and Cuban musicians played together.
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The Longest Walk: David Amram (far left) joined other major performers and entertainers at the historic 1978 concert at the National Armory in Washington D.C. celebrating the conclusion of "The Longest Walk," a six-month march across America be Native American Indians demanding improved human rights for American Indians. Shown here following the concert are (left to right): Mohammed Ali, Buffy St.Marie, Floyd Red Crow Westerman, boxing promoter Harold Smith, Stevie Wonder, Marlon Brando, Max Gail, Dick Gregory, Richie Havens and David Amram.
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World Music: David Amram (seated left) is shown performing with localmusicians from Radio Lahore in Pakistan during his 1978 U.S. State Department sponsored tour of Southeast Asia and the Middle East as Musical Ambassador of Good Will.
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Gala Opening: David Amram and comedian Bill Cosby are shown here at a gala 1991 concert celebrating the opening of the Johnson Cultural Arts Center. Amram conducted the Kansas City Symphony and Cosby was the featured performer.
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David with Ed Heflin and Joe Kerouac (Jack's Cousin)
Click here to read an interview with David Amram by Ed Heflin.
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Composer, Conductor, Musician, Author David Amram reading from his
book "Off Beat, Collaborations with Jack Kerouac"
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Activist and Cofounder of American Indian Movement(AIM), Dennis Banks, Nancy Lewis of Red Hot Promotions and David Amram.
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Activist, Actor, Floyd Red Crow Westerman reading Jack Kerouac.
David Amram accomanying on the flute.
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