Trevor Jones (composer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Trevor Jones
Background information
Birth name	Trevor Alfred Charles Jones
Born	(1949-03-23) 23 March 1949 (age 76) Cape Town, South Africa
Genres	Film score
Occupation(s)	Composer conductor
Years active	1967–present

Trevor Alfred Charles Jones was born on March 23, 1949, in South Africa. He is a talented composer who creates music for movies and TV shows. Most of his work has been done in the United Kingdom.

Trevor Jones is well-known for his music in the 1980s and 1990s. He composed for many famous films. These include Excalibur, Runaway Train, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, Mississippi Burning, The Last of the Mohicans, and In the Name of the Father. He has worked with famous directors like John Boorman, Jim Henson, and Michael Mann.

Trevor Jones has received several awards and nominations for his music. He was nominated three times for the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music. These nominations were for Mississippi Burning, The Last of the Mohicans, and Brassed Off. He was also nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award for the TV miniseries Merlin.

Since 2006, Jones has been a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music in Britain. In 1999, he became the first head of the music department at the National Film and Television School.

Early Life and Education

Trevor Jones was born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1949. He grew up in a family that faced tough times.

When he was just six years old, Trevor decided he wanted to compose music for films. At age 10, he was accepted into the South African College of Music. He received a special scholarship to attend. In 1967, he moved to London to study at the Royal Academy of Music. After that, he worked for the BBC for five years. He reviewed music for radio and television.

In 1974, Jones earned a master's degree in Film and Media Music from the University of York. He then spent three years at the National Film and Television School. There, he learned about filmmaking and sound techniques. During this time, he wrote music for 22 student films. One of these films, The Dollar Bottom (1981), even won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.

Career Highlights

Trevor Jones's talent soon caught the attention of director John Boorman. Boorman was making his epic film Excalibur (1981). Even though the movie used a lot of classical music, Boorman needed original music for certain parts. Jones, being a rising young composer, was hired for the job.

His work on Excalibur led him to Jim Henson, the creator of The Dark Crystal (1982). Henson was looking for a composer who was open to new ideas. Jones created a big, detailed musical score for the film. He used the London Symphony Orchestra along with modern synthesizers. He also used old instruments like the crumhorn and recorder.

Jones continued to compose for various films. These included The Appointment (1981) and The Sender (1982). In 1985, he created music for the TV show The Last Place on Earth.

He worked with Jim Henson again on the 1986 fantasy musical Labyrinth. For this movie, David Bowie wrote and sang the songs. Jones provided the dramatic background music.

After The Dark Crystal, Jones started to change his style. He began using more electronic sounds in his music. This was similar to other film composers of the time. His music focused more on creating a mood rather than clear themes. Examples of this style include Angel Heart (1987) and Mississippi Burning (1988).

Jones returned to using a full orchestra for the 1990 film Arachnophobia. He also composed a fun, light-hearted score for Blame it on the Bellboy in 1992.

One of Jones's most popular works came in 1992 with The Last of the Mohicans. The film's director, Michael Mann, first wanted electronic music. But later, they decided an orchestral score would be better. Jones worked quickly to create the orchestral music. Because of tight deadlines, another composer, Randy Edelman, helped with some smaller scenes. Both composers received credit for the film's music.

In the 1990s, Jones also composed for television. He created orchestral scores for Hallmark productions. These included Gulliver's Travels, Merlin, and Cleopatra. He also made a jazzy, 1930s-style score for Richard III (1995). In 1997, he worked with director Ridley Scott on G.I. Jane.

Personal Life

Trevor Jones is married to Victoria Seale. They have four children. His uncle, Norman Florence, along with his aunt Rhoda Florence and cousin Peter Florence, started the Hay Festival in 1988. Jones has attended this festival almost every year since it began.

Filmography

Film

Feature Films

Short Films

Television

Video Games

• Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects (2005)

See also

In Spanish: Trevor Jones para niños