Photo: UnknownUnknown photographer / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
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
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 173 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- composer / conductor / film score composer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- 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. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. 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 | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Bernard Herrmann born?
June 29, 1911 – December 24, 1975.
Where is Bernard Herrmann from?
Bernard Herrmann is from New York City, New York, United States.
What does Bernard Herrmann do?
Bernard Herrmann works as composer, conductor, film score composer.
How tall is Bernard Herrmann?
Bernard Herrmann is 173 cm.
What is Bernard Herrmann known for?
Notable works include Vertigo, Psycho, Citizen Kane.
Composer — see all → · Conductor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-19
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.