HENRY MANCINI100

It was April 16, 1924 when, in Cleveland, Enrico Nicola Mancini was born. Son of Italian immigrants, Henry would become one of the most distinctive and refined voices in film music. Raised in the Pennsylvania steel industry, young Henry soon discovered the power of notes under the guidance of a father passionate about the flute. His career, interrupted by the war, resumed vigorously, bringing him to New York, to the prestigious Juilliard School, and then to Glenn Miller’s orchestra. Henry Mancini entered the world of cinema in 1952, with Universal Pictures. Success came quickly with “The Glenn Miller Story” (1954), which earned him his first Oscar nomination. The collaboration with director Blake Edwards was decisive: their first project together, the series “Peter Gunn” (1958), gave birth to an iconic theme later reprised in “The Blues Brothers”. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961) marked a milestone with “Moon River”, earning him two Oscars. The following year he won another Oscar with “The Days of Wine and Roses” (1962). In 1964 he composed the famous theme of “The Pink Panther”, which became an integral part of all subsequent episodes and cartoons. He continued to collaborate with Edwards in films like “Gunn: 24 Hours to Kill” (1967). In 1969, the single “Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet” topped the Billboard Hot 100, while “Whistling Away the Dark” (1971) won a Golden Globe. He composed for the Olympic film “Visions of Eight” (1972) and in 1982 won his fourth Oscar for “Victor Victoria”. The soundtrack of the TV miniseries “The Thorn Birds” and the theme of “Meggie’s Theme” remained indelible, as did “The Great Race”. From then on, Mancini became the wizard of soundtracks, able to transport the audience into enchanted worlds with his melodies. “Moon River”, “The Pink Panther Theme”, “Peter Gunn Theme”: each note a journey, each piece a story. Iconic collaborations with directors like Blake Edwards gave life to unforgettable masterpieces. And so, on an evening where music becomes memory, the master of soundtracks relives with iconic musical pieces like “Anywhere the Heart Goes”, “Baby Elephant Walk”, “Moment to Moment”, “Charade” and the timeless “Moon River”. Mancini’s music is not just sound but emotion, memory. The concert is a heartfelt tribute to a master who turned every composition into a piece of life.