- James Bernard (1925 - 2001) - One of the composers who inspired Bernard to pursue his passion for music was Benjamin Britten. Britten encouraged Bernard to continue his studies at the Royal College of Music. After that, Bernard worked for Hammer Studios; a British studio known for producing horror films. He scored the music for films such as "The Curse of Frankenstein" (1957), "The Horror of Dracula" (1958), "Kiss of the Vampire" (1962) and "The Plague of the Zombies" (1966). Listen to music samples from the movie "The Devil Rides Out".
- Tristram Cary (born: May 14, 1925) - He is the son of novelist Joyce Cary. Cary pursued his studies at Oxford then moved to London to study composition and conducting. In 1967 he founded the electronic music studio at the Royal College of Music. He was awarded an Honorary Visiting Research Fellow position and degree of Doctor of Music by the University of Adelaide. His other awards are the Medal of the Order of Australia, SA Great Music Award and Lifetime Achievement Award from the Adelaide Critics Circle in 2005. He scored the music for "The Ladykillers" (1955) and "Blood from the Mummy's Tomb" (1971). Listen to music samples from the film "The Ladykillers" from the Tristram Cary website.
- Franz Reizenstein (1911 - 1968) - Born in Nuremberg, Germany, Reizenstein began composing when he was 5 and at 18, he entered the Berlin Hochschule fur Musik. When he was 23, he moved to London to study at the Royal College of Music where he eventually became a professor. He also taught at Royal Northern College of Music and was a visiting professor at Boston University. Among his known works is the score he did for the movie "The Mummy" (1959). Listen to music samples from the movie "The Mummy".
- Benjamin Frankel (1906 - 1973) - Although his interest in music began early on, it was when Victor Benham; an American virtuoso, took him under his wing when Frankel's musical talent flourished. Victor Benham taught Frankel for free for two years. He then proceeded to study at the Guildhall School of Music while working to support his studies. Some of his best known works are "The Seventh Veil" and "Violin Concerto." He is also known for his musical work in the horror movie "Curse of the Werewolf" (1960). Listen to music samples from "Curse of the Werewolf".
- Malcolm Williamson (1931 - 2003) - He entered the Sydney Conservatorium at age 11 graduating in 1944 with a Bachelor of Music degree. Among the composers who influenced him were Igor Stravinsky and Olivier Messiaen. Williamson became the Nineteenth Master of the Queen's Music in 1975. He is known, among others, for his stage works, film scores and operas, particularly for children. In 1976, he received the CBE (Commander - British Order of Chivalry) and AO (Officer - Order of Australia) in 1987. In 1982 he received an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the University of Melbourne. Williamson did the musical score for the horror film "Brides of Dracula" (1960). Listen to music samples from the movie "Brides of Dracula" from the Movie Grooves website.
Know of other composers who should be included on this list? Email it to musiced.guide@about.com
