Charles Gerhardt

Gerhardt was the first conductor to treat film soundtracks in the same manner as fine concert music. He re-recorded the music with a professional orchestra, thereby encouraging awareness of the many composers writing for the medium. He began to play the piano at the age of five and was already composing and orchestrating his scores at nine. His formal studies were undertaken at the College of William and Mary and the Juilliard School of Music. During World War II, Gerhardt, known to his friends simply as Chuck, was a chaplain's assistant. At the conclusion of the conflict, h...