Robert Kraft (composer)
Robert Kraft | |
---|---|
Born | United States |
Genres | Film score |
Occupation(s) | Songwriter, film composer, record producer |
Robert Kraft is an American songwriter, film composer, recording artist and
Education
Kraft attended the Lawrenceville School, graduating in 1972, and graduated cum laude from Harvard University in 1976.
Recording and songwriting
Kraft has worked extensively in the recording industry, producing or co-producing such artists as Linda Ronstadt, Dr. John, Bette Midler, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Johnny Mathis, Bruce Willis, Jimmy Buffett, Don Henley, George Benson, Ozzy Osbourne, Southside Johnny, Albert Collins, Vonda Shepard, and Melissa Manchester. His songs have been recorded by The Manhattan Transfer, Bette Midler, Roberta Flack, Los Lobos, Diane Schuur, Bruce Willis, Joy Enriquez, Dr. John, and Kermit the Frog. As a solo artist and with his band, Robert Kraft and The Ivory Coast, he has released four albums on RCA, RSO, and Sonic Edge Records. In October 2013, Milan Records released “Consensual Sets”, a compilation of Kraft's greatest hits from 1979 to 1989. In November 2013, VIVID SOUNDS released a boxed set of Kraft's five original CDs, including "Robert Kraft Live at the Newport Jazz Festival, Town Hall NYC, 1980."
Film music
In 1989, Kraft co-produced the
As a writer, Kraft's other feature film credits include story co-author (with Bruce Willis) and score co-composer (with
Kraft composed the music for the ballet, "Thriller", choreographed by Matthew Diamond. (World Premier, Jacob's Pillow August 1981.) In 1992 Kraft founded the record label,
Fox Filmed Entertainment
Kraft was the chief executive of Fox Music Inc. from 1994 until October 2012, supervising the scores and soundtracks for over 300 Fox Filmed Entertainment motion pictures.".
Since Kraft became chief executive in 1994, Fox Music was responsible for the worldwide sales of over 60 million albums, producing 3 Platinum, 6 Multi-Platinum and 6 Gold records. Under his leadership, Fox Music garnered 10 Academy Award nominations, winning 4 Academy Awards, 20 Golden Globe nominations (including 5 Golden Globe Awards), 61 Emmy nominations with 11 wins, and 49 Grammy nominations including 14 Grammy Awards.
Other projects
In 1994, Kraft was elected to the
Kraft was elected to the board of directors of the Harvard Alumni Association in 2008, and was co-chair of the advisory committee of the Harvard Office for The Arts. He has lectured on film music at
Kraft is the Berklee College of Music Visiting Professor of Music and Media, (International campus-Valencia, Spain);[8] He is also an executive board member of the World Soundtrack Academy, where he was awarded the World Soundtrack Academy Industry Award for 2012, and is on the board of the International Radio Festival, where he won the International Radio Festival Lifetime Achievement Award for 2012.[9] In 2022, Kraft was elected to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Music Branch Executive Committee.
Kraftbox Entertainment
In 2013, Kraft founded Kraftbox Entertainment, a Music and Media production, management, and consulting firm. Kraftbox is in production on projects across several platforms, including the feature film, The Message (Rapper's Delight) with co-producers Paula Wagner and Stephanie Allain. In partnership with Quincy Jones and Blumhouse TV, Kraft is also developing “Jazz Ambassadors”, the true story of a jazz band that toured the world during the Cold War. Kraftbox is also developing a docu-series about the life of Ray Charles, co-produced with Frank Marshall.
The film, "SCORE! The Film Music Documentary", co-produced by Kraft, premiered at film festivals around the world in 2016, and, upon its 2017 release, entered the iTunes documentary chart at #1, where it stayed for 4 weeks. "SCORE: THE PODCAST", a weekly podcast with Kraft as co-host, has completed over 50 episodes featuring top film composers.
In 2022, Kraft debuted a new, live series called "CUE THE MUSIC with ROBERT KRAFT” at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, Ca., featuring evenings with world-class film composers in concert and conversation.
Other Kraftbox projects include When Albums Ruled the World, a documentary broadcast on BBC 4 (February 2013). In 2014, Kraft co-produced the hit Off-Broadway one-man show, "The Lion", starring Benjamin Scheuer. In 2015, Kraft signed singer, songwriter, and trumpeter Spencer Ludwig to Warner Bros. Records, and became Spencer's manager. Spencer's first WB Records single, "Diggy" (released July 2016) was the theme song for Target's Fall 2016 ad campaign.
References
- ^ "Robert Kraft ankles Fox Music". Variety. 28 September 2012. Retrieved 2013-04-01.
- ^ "Robert Kraft, President of Fox Music, Stepping Down | Billboard". Billboard.biz. 2012-09-28. Retrieved 2013-04-01.
- ^ Burlingame, Jon (2010-04-12). "Robert Kraft: Last of a dying breed". Variety.
- ^ a b c Donahue, Ann (2008-04-28). ""Chipmunks" help revive movie soundtracks". Billboard. Retrieved 2009-04-25.
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ignored (help) - ^ "The film "Black Swan" has Harvard creators behind it | Harvard Magazine Jan-Feb 2011". Harvardmagazine.com. Retrieved 2012-02-27.
- ^ Burlingame, Jon (2010-12-15). "Music branch can't please everyone". Variety.
- ^ Hurwitz, Matt (2011-04-14). "Fox topper shows real class". Variety.
- ^ "Robert Kraft to Teach "Music in Film" Workshop in Havana « Repeating Islands". Repeatingislands.com. Retrieved 2012-02-27.
- ^ Teicholz, Tom (2009-09-16). "The Kraft of Movie Music | Tommywood". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 2013-04-01.
External links
- Robert Kraft at IMDb
- Berklee.edu