Photo: UnknownUnknown photographer / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Born on June 29, 1911, Bernard Herrmann was from New York City, New York, United States. Bernard Herrmann was a conductor and film score composer. Death is recorded on December 24, 1975, at the age of 64. Schooling on record includes DeWitt Clinton High School and New York University. Awards on record include Academy Award for Best Original Dramatic Score (1942), Grammy Awards and Arts and Letters Award in Music.
My Take
To me, Bernard Herrmann is cinema's invisible lead actor. Strip his scores away and Psycho loses its terror, Vertigo loses its ache, and Citizen Kane loses half its menace. What I admire most is his range across decades, from the lush romanticism of the 1940s to the jazzy dread of Taxi Driver near the end of his life. He elevated film scoring from background filler into genuine dramatic authorship, refusing to merely decorate a scene when he could define it. That he died right after finishing his last recording feels almost cinematic. I return to his music endlessly, always finding something new beneath the dread.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Bernard Herrmann
- Name (Japanese)
- バーナード・ハーマン
- Reading
- ばーなーど・はーまん
- Born
- June 29, 1911 – December 24, 1975
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Boar
- Origin
- New York City, New York, United States
- Height
- 173 cm
- Occupation
- composer / conductor / film score composer
2. Background
- High school
- DeWitt Clinton High School
- University
- New York University
Awards & achievements
- 1942 Academy Award for Best Original Dramatic Score
- Grammy Awards
- Arts and Letters Award in Music
3. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | Vertigo | — | |
| Notable work | Psycho | — | |
| Notable work | Citizen Kane | — | |
| Notable work | The Day the Earth Stood Still | — | |
| Notable work | Taxi Driver | — | |
| Notable work | Wuthering Heights | — |
4. Links
- Official sitehttp://thebernardherrmannestate.com
- Wikipedia (English)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard%20Herrmann
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%90%E3%83%BC%E3%83%8A%E3%83%BC%E3%83%89%E3%83%BB%E3%83%8F%E3%83%BC%E3%83%9E%E3%83%B3
- Wikidatahttps://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q296804
5. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-19
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Bernard Herrmann born?
Born June 29, 1911.
When did Bernard Herrmann die?
Died December 24, 1975, aged 64.
Where was Bernard Herrmann from?
Bernard Herrmann was from New York City, New York, United States.
What did Bernard Herrmann do?
Bernard Herrmann worked as composer, conductor, film score composer.
How tall was Bernard Herrmann?
Bernard Herrmann was 173 cm.
What was Bernard Herrmann known for?
Notable works include Vertigo, Psycho, Citizen Kane.
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