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"The Little Prince," Angela Morley
The Little Prince was composed by Angela Morley, alongside songwriters Alan Jay Lerner, and Frederick Loewe. Her work on this film, characterized by a romantic string orchestra accompanied by harps, flutes, and other percussion, led to an Oscar nomination. This made Morley the first openly-transgender individual to be nominated for an Oscar. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/1977-story-of-transgender-pioneer-angela-morley-to-be-broadcast-on-bbc-radio-4-a6752956.html -
“Souten,” Usha Khanna
In 1983, Ushma Khanna composed the film soundtrack for “Souten.” Khanna is well known for being only the third woman film music director in the Indian film industry, as well as one of the most commercially successful music directors. “Souten” was a huge success, and Khanna’s work in the film led to a Filmfare award nomination. https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/artists/a0dce6c9-5396-4b40-9083-d6a9833dae0d -
“Macross Plus,” Yoko Kanno
The score for “Macross Plus,” a four part anime film, was composed by Yoko Kanno. While not well known globally, Kanno has received much acclaim in the anime world. In Macross Plus, Kanno was praised for intriquite melodies and orchestra arcs that captured the emotions onscreen. https://medium.com/lapsed-historian/yoko-kanno-the-greatest-composer-youve-never-heard-of-b452f64acc72 -
“Emma,” Rachel Portman
In 1996, Rachel Portman composed the score for “Emma.” Portman’s career has spanned over 100 films, and she is one of the most famous women composers. Her work in “Emma” led to an Academy Award for Best Original Music or Comedy Score. She was the first woman to win that award. http://rachelportman.co.uk/about -
“The Living Edens,” Laura Karpman
Beginning in 1997, Laura Karpman composed music for the PBS series “The Living Edens.” Her work in this series earned her nine Emmy nominations. Karpman’s style combines modern methods of both technology and music recording. Karpman is the founding President of the Alliance of Woman Film Composers. http://www.laurakarpman.com -
“Music for Mandela,” Amritha Vaz
“Music for Mandela” was composed by Amritha Vaz, a Sundance Fellow. This film followed the important role of music in Mandela’s life, making Vaz’s role as the film composer even more important. Vaz’s work on this film resulted in a nomination for the Leo Award for Best Musical Score. http://www.amrithavaz.com/#about -
“Dear White People,” Kathryn Bostic
“Dear White People,” was composed by Kathryn Bostic in 2014. She was nominated for the Black Reel Outstanding Score Award for her work in this film. Boston was praised for the diversity of the songs and different musical techniques used, such as the electronica remake of the Schubert Piano Trio. https://www.classicalmpr.org/story/2015/01/07/kathryn-bostic-dear-white-people -
“Everything Before Us,” Chanda Dancy
“Everything Before Us” was composed by Chanda Dancy, who is also a violinist, keyboardist, and singer. While there is not much publicly available information on the critical reception of this soundtrack, it features a mix of simple, piano tunes supported by ambient noise and some percussion, as well as other songs with a full orchestra. Most of the music is light, conveying a comfortable ambience. Www.chandadancy.com, and “Everything Before Us” soundtrack on Spotify -
“Manchester by the Sea,” Lesley Barber
In 2016, Lesley Barber composed the original score for “Manchester by the Sea.” Barber’s original compositions featuring “mournful” strings and chorale parts performed by her daughter blended with classical compositions such as Handel’s Messiah. Though the score was ineligible for an Oscar due to using some pre-existing music, the score was highly praised. https://themuse.jezebel.com/a-chat-with-lesley-barber-the-composer-of-2016s-best-f-1792689037 -
“Captain Marvel,” Pinar Toprak
“Captain Marvel,” which is set to be released in 2019, is being scored by Turkish composer Pinar Toprak. The film will be all women-led, with Topeka as the first woman film scorer in comic superhero movie. Toprak has won two International Film Music Awards, and has also composed the soundtrack to the Superman prequel, Krypton. https://www.pinartoprak.com/about/
