Archive
Gerard Schurmann, 1924-2020
Composer and conductor Gerard Schurmann died at his home in the Hollywood Hills, California, on March 24, 2020, at the age of 96, following a period of declining health.
A distinguished figure in both film and concert music, Schurmann was best known for scores including The Long Arm, Horrors of the Black Museum, Konga, Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow, The Bedford Incident and The Lost Continent. He was also an accomplished orchestrator whose work included two of the great epic scores of the 1960s, Exodus and Lawrence of Arabia.
Gerard Schurmann was born in Kertosono, Java, in the Dutch East Indies, on January 19, 1924, to Dutch parents. His mother was an accomplished pianist, and music became an important part of his childhood. He moved to England at 17 during the Second World War and served with the Royal Air Force, eventually using his talents as a pianist to provide musical entertainment for servicemen.
After the war Schurmann briefly worked as cultural attaché at the Netherlands Embassy in London while continuing to perform and compose. Encouraged by conductor Eduard van Beinum, he became associated with Dutch radio orchestras in Hilversum, but his principal ambition was composition. An important mentor was British composer Alan Rawsthorne, whose friendship eventually helped Schurmann enter the film industry. Read more…
Shop at the Movie Music UK Store
Member of the
MOVIE MUSIC UK 