Photograph of Alan Silvestri.
Alan Silvestri

Overview

Alan Silvestri (b. March 26, 1950, New York City) is a well-known American Academy Award nominated film score composer. He studied film scoring at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. Silvestri is best known for his numerous collaborations with director Robert Zemeckis, having scored Forrest Gump (1994), the Back to the Future trilogy (1985, 1989, 1990), Contact (1997), Cast Away (2000), Romancing the Stone (1984) and The Polar Express (2004). He received Oscar nominations for Best Original Score for Forrest Gump, a Best Song for "Believe" on The Polar Express Soundtrack, and two Grammy Awards for the music from Cast Away and the song "Believe" from The Polar Express. Aside from his collaborations with Zemeckis, Silvestri is known for his work in Predator (1987) and Predator 2 (1990), both of which are considered to be preeminent examples of action/sci-fi film scores.

Silvestri grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey and attended Teaneck High School there.

Filmography

* Beowulf (2007) * Night at the Museum (2006) * The Wild (2006) * The Polar Express (2004) * Van Helsing (2004) * Two Soldiers (2003) * Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003) * Identity (2003) * Maid in Manhattan (2002) * Stuart Little 2 (2002) * Lilo & Stitch (2002) * Showtime (2002) * Serendipity (2001) * The Mummy Returns (2001) * The Mexican (2001) * What Women Want (2000) * Cast Away (2000) * What Lies Beneath (2000) * Reindeer Games (2000) * Stuart Little (1999) * Siegfried & Roy: The Magic Box (1999) (IMAX) * Practical Magic (1998) * Holy Man (1998) * The Parent Trap (1998) * The Odd Couple II (1998) * Mouse Hunt (1997) * Contact (1997) * Volcano (1997) * Fools Rush In (1997) * The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996) * Eraser (1996) * Mission: Impossible (1996) (score withdrawn after 30 mins of recording) (uncredited) * Sgt. Bilko (1996) * Grumpier Old Men (1995) * Father of the Bride Part II (1995) * Judge Dredd (1995) * The Perez Family (1995) * The Quick and the Dead (1995) * Ri¢hie Ri¢h (1994) * Blown Away (1994) * Forrest Gump (1994) * Clean Slate (1994) * Grumpy Old Men (1993) * Judgement Night (1993) * Super Mario Bros. (1993) * Cop and a Half (1993) * In Search of the Obelisk (1993) * Sidekicks (1992) * The Bodyguard (1992) * Death Becomes Her (1992) * Diner (1992) * FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992) * Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot (1992) * Father of the Bride (1991) * Richochet (1991) * Shattered (1991) * Dutch (1991) * Soapdish (1991) * Back to the Future: The Ride (1991) * Predator 2 (1990) * Young Guns II (1990) * Back to the Future Part III (1990) * Downtown (1990) * Back to the Future Part II (1989) * The Abyss (1989) * She's Out of Control (1989) * My Stepmother Is an Alien (1988) * Mac and Me (1988) * Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) * Overboard (1987) * Predator (1987) * Outrageous Fortune (1987) * Critical Condition (1987) * No Mercy (1986) * Flight of the Navigator (1986) * American Anthem (1986) * The Delta Force (1986) * The Clan of the Cave Bear (1986) * Summer Rental (1985) * Back to the Future (1985) * Cat's Eye (1985) * Fandango (1985) * Romancing the Stone (1984) * CHiPs (1978-1983) * The Fifth Floor (1978) * The Amazing Dobermans (1976) * Las Vegas Lady (1975) * The Mack (1973) (1983 video reissue) * The Doberman Gang (1972)

Trivia

*Has a private pilot license. This has made it possible for Alan to fly to Los Angeles by himself. *Was originally hired to score Mission: Impossible, and had recorded roughly 30 minutes of music before he was replaced by Danny Elfman. Bootleg copies of his Mission: Impossible score are in circulation, and he recycled some of this material for his score to Eraser.

References

Who is Alan Silvestri connected to?
Add a Connection

That biography says:

...In April 2006, Leroy started working for composer and orchestrator William Ross, (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Ladder 49, Tuck Everlasting), and did music preparation on a score composed by Alan Silvestri. Around the same period, he also re-orchestrated a suite from Conan The Barbarian (Basil Poledouris), to be performed under the composer's direction in July 2006, at the second International Film Music Conference in Ubeda, Spain...

That biography says:

...In late 1987, Callery moved to Los Angeles to work for New England Digital, the creators of the Synclavier synthesizer, while he pursued his own musical career. He trained many composers on how to use this new musical technology, including Alan Silvestri, James Newton Howard, Herbie Hancock, and Mark Snow. During this time, he also began performing and arranging songs for various artists and projects...

This biography says:

...He studied film scoring at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. Silvestri is best known for his numerous collaborations with director Robert Zemeckis, having scored Forrest Gump (1994), the Back to the Future trilogy (1985, 1989, 1990), Contact (1997), Cast Away (2000), Romancing the Stone (1984) and The Polar Express (2004)...

That biography says:

...A romantic adventure starring Douglas and Kathleen Turner, Romancing was expected to flop (to the point that, after viewing a rough cut of the film, the producers of the then-in-the-works Cocoon fired Zemeckis as director), but the film became a sleeper hit. While working on Romancing the Stone, Zemeckis met composer Alan Silvestri, who has scored all of his subsequent pictures....

That biography says:

...His first brush with Hollywood films was as a pianist playing on film scores for film luminaries such as Thomas Newman, Dave Grusin, Alan Silvestri, and Carmine Coppola in box office hits such as Finding Nemo, Erin Brockovich, The Godfather III, A Bug's Life, and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me...

This biography says:

...*Was originally hired to score Mission: Impossible, and had recorded roughly 30 minutes of music before he was replaced by Danny Elfman. Bootleg copies of his Mission: Impossible score are in circulation, and he recycled some of this material for his score to Eraser.