Whether you realize it or not, American composer Henry Mancini is a part of your life. If you’ve ever gone to the movies or watched television, you’ve heard his music. Now you’ll have the opportunity to really appreciate his story by attending the “Henry Mancini 100th Birthday Celebration” at the Adrienne Arsht Center Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, at 8 p.m. The tribute concert opens the annually anticipated Jazz Roots Series at Knight Concert Hall.
Mancini created memorable film scores including “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “The Pink Panther,” “Days of Wine and Roses,” “The Glass Menagerie,” “Victor/Victoria” and “10,” among many others. Between 1952-1958 alone he contributed to more than 100 films, and he was just getting warmed up.
“Henry Mancini created a paradigm shift in film composing … from neo romantic classical Bernard Herrmann kind of stuff … to this very hip, sophisticated, jazz-inflected music. So much of what came after Mancini is owed to him,” said Shelly Berg, classical pianist and the dean of the University of Miami Frost School of Music, who is one of the founders of the Arsht’s jazz series. “To create one song that everybody knows in the world is amazing, and Mancini created a lot of them. I’ve gone into piano bars all over the world and have heard ‘Moon River’ in all of them.”
(HenryMancini.com)
In 1962, Henry Mancini won the award for best music, original song for“Moon River” from the movie “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” and picked up a secondOscar the same night for the film’s score.
That’s one classic you should expect to hear.
“It’s not only one of my favorites but it always gives me a challenge to do something with it … The more life experience you have, (the more) you bring to it,” said Monica Mancini, a daughter of the legendary composer and one of the star vocalists of the evening.
The theme song from the 1967 film “Two for the Road” starring Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney is another on the song list.
(HenryMancini.com)
Henry Mancini, seen here in the studio in the 1970s, was a pianist, composer, conductor and arranger.
“That was his favorite and it became my parents’ song … I’ll definitely be performing that,” said Mancini.
Her father, who died at age 70, also wrote for numerous television projects, including “The Thorn Birds” and “The Shadow Box.” His TV themes include “Peter Gunn,” “Newhart,” “Remington Steele” and “Hotel.” He recorded more than 90 albums in varying styles from big band to jazz to classical to pop.
But when did Mancini realize her father was more than just “Daddy”?
(HenryMancini.com)
Henry and Ginny Mancini, circa 1981.
“It was 1962. My sister and brother and I were with our grandfather watching the Oscars. Dad picked up two Oscars that night. That was the moment we realized he was a big deal.
“I also realized It when he started doing more high-profile movies and we moved from San Fernando Valley to Beverly Hills,” Mancini added. “It was a whole different lifestyle. We referred to it as ‘moving over the hill’ … from the valley to the big time.”
Her father ultimately picked up four Academy Awards in his lifetime and 72 Grammy nominations, winning 20. This vast repertoire is the foundation of the Nov. 3 tribute concert. For Berg, a personal highlight of the evening will be performing the “The Pink Panther Theme” because he had the privilege of contributing as a musician 20 years ago on the “Ultimate Mancini” remake album, and now he’ll get to play those opening, iconic “Pink Panther” notes live in Mancini’s honor.
(RCA)
Henry Mancini recorded 90 albums, in styles ranging from big band and jazz to light classical to pop. Eight of them went gold.
Henry Mancini recorded 90 albums, in styles ranging from big band and jazz to light classical to pop. Eight of them went gold.
This is one of many full-circle moments to come. All the arrangements will be played by members of the University of Miami Frost School of Music’s Mancini Institute Orchestra. Berg was a professor at USC when the Mancini Institute was only a three to four-week summer experience for students to learn about film scores. When he became dean at UM, Berg convinced Mancini’s widow, Ginny, to move the institute to Miami, where he pledged to make it part of year-round instruction. A Mancini music library came along with it. Berg has been close to the Mancini family ever since.
“I think it is a perfect circle. Shelly, whenever I can get him, accompanies me. But now that he’s the dean he’s not as available as he used to be … and with the institute … my mother would have loved this ... I’m sorry she’s not here to see this,” Mancini said.
Ginny Mancini, who was an accomplished big-band singer herself, died in 2021 at age 97.
“My mother was my biggest fan and would travel all over to hear me sing,” her daughter shared. “She loved supporting me and hearing Dad’s music … It’s going to be different without her presence. I’ll be singing for her as well. I’ll be thinking of her a lot.”
Growing up a Mancini had its perks. Ginny loved to entertain, so it was not uncommon to see the starlets of the day coming and going.
“My mother was quite the hostess,” shared Mancini. “There was James Cagney, Sean Connery, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant … lots of old Hollywood legends. Quincy Jones and my dad were besties, so he was over all the time. It was an active house and [my parents] loved filling it with love and warmth.”
It’s this level of warmth and nostalgia that is likely to fill the concert hall. As of this writing, Mancini, her award-winning music producer husband, Greg Field, and Berg were still hammering out the concert’s song list, but guest stars include John Pizzarelli on guitar, actress and singer Dawnn Lewis, and Melvin Butler on saxophone, just to name a few.
“I’m going to play some of the music [Mancini] played,” said Berg. “The students may expand some, but we really want to play Henry’s version of Henry … We want Henry in the room.”
Multimedia presentations will help make that happen.
“I’d like the music for this concert to give people a compete overview and a sense of who Henry Mancini was … He had a lot of cultural influences … He was very innovative and opened the world to a lot of composers,” said his daughter. “I’m just really excited about it … it’s going to be a magical evening for everyone.”