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Rachel Portman
Composer Tributes




        After becoming the first female composer to win an Academy Award (for the 1996 film Emma), Rachel Portman has suddenly received the recognition in America that she has truly deserved. A master of the romantic comedy genre, Portman, a British musician, composes scores that are witty, clever, fully orchestral, and thematically sharp. She composes using only a piano, keeping a distance from the film music industry's move towards the complexity of electronics. Her personality is honest and down-to-earth, and she composes her scores from her home in England.

        The lush orchestrations and creative use of strings in Portman's works distinguish her from other romance/comedy score composers of the 1990's. Arguably the best effort in the first decade of her career is Only You, a score with an abundance of whimsical, sweeping themes and irresistible charm. Three years later, Addicted to Love revisited many of these light-hearted, enjoyable cues. The odd score in her career came the same year as Only You; The Road to Wellville was released on an album complete with quotes about defecation. Most importantly, though, the true beauty of Rachel Portman's music is evident through the love of her profession. Because she enjoys her music and scoring career, that joy is reflected in her compositions, making almost every one of her albums an enjoyable listening experience.



"Most of the films I've worked on have been independent in nature, rather than huge box-office successes. I've really made my career out of doing projects I love..."

        -- Rachel Portman, 1997




Rachel Portman's Credits:
Rachel Portman with her Oscar
Information about Portman's background:

Born on December 11, 1960, in Haslemere, England, Rachel Portman began using her musical talents at a young age. She started composing on piano at the age of 13, and eventually gained a formal education in composition, orchestration, and classical music at the University of Oxford. Her early career gained her considerable recognition in Great Britain, and she became known as a composer whose priorities rest with character, comedy, and drama.

In 1988, Portman won the British Film Institute's "Young Composer of the Year" award, followed by the Carlton Television Award for "Creative Originality for Women in Film." Her early career was marked by her consistent work for BBC films. She received Best Score nominations from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for her scores to The Woman In Black and the three-part BBC drama Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit. She was honored with a third nomination for her score to Where Angels Fear To Tread. Finally, in 1996, she won the Academy Award in the United States for Emma. Although she chooses not to conduct her own scores, she employs the help of veterans David Snell and J.A.C Redford.

She does not make a big deal out of the fact that she is the first female composer to gain international recognition in the film music community. In 1995, she married motion picture producer Uberto Pasolini, and has two young daughters. She continues her scoring career in England. Although most of her credits have included an association with television productions, she is now primarily focused on feature films. Along with impressive compositions for Only You and Addicted to Love, Portman has composed music for song albums such as The Adventures of Pinocchio and a video sequel of Beauty and the Beast.




  2007
  • (none)

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

  • The Emperor's New Clothes ***

2000

1999

1998

1997

1996

1995

  • Smoke **
  • To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar
  • A Pyromaniac's Love Story ***

1994

1993

  • Ethan Frome ***
  • Friends
  • Benny & Joon ***
  • Great Moments in Aviation **** (USA TV film)
  • The Joy Luck Club ****

1992

1991

  • Where Angels Fear to Tread
  • Antonia and Jane

1990

  • Life Is Sweet **

1989

  • (none)

1988

  • High Hopes

1987

  • The Storyteller (scored the entire TV mini-series)
  • 90 Degrees South

1986

  • Sharma and Beyond

1985

  • (none)

1984

  • Last Day of Summer

1983

  • (none)

1982

  • Privileged
  • Experience Preferred... But Not Essential




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Page created 7/24/98, updated 4/16/03. Version 3.3 (Filmtracks Publishing) Copyright © 1998-2003, Christian Clemmensen. All rights reserved. The reviews, pictures, and notes contained in the filmtracks.com composer tributes may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Filmtracks Publications.