George Roumanis

From Wind Repertory Project
George Roumanis

Biography

George Roumanis (b. 11 February 1929, Trenton, N.J.) is an American composer.

George fell in love with Jazz at the tender age of 12, and proceeded to become a jazz bassist. At the age of 18, George played with famous big band artists such as Benny Goodman, Charlie Spivak, Ralph Flanagan, Dizzy Gillespie and many more. George also performed at the legendary Birdland and recorded with other famous jazz great such as Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderley, Johnny Smith and Clark Terry.

George started his arranging career at the age of 16, and within three years, he was arranging for Benny Goodman, Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Count Basie, Glenn Miller's "Airmen of Note" and the Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra. By the time George was 27 years old, he became a recording artist in his own right.

At age 30, George formed his own commercial production company for Madison Avenue agencies. George composed, arranged and produced numerous well-known commercials (jingles) featuring Louis Armstrong, Peggy Lee, Stan Getz, Eartha Kitt, Bobby Vinton, Buddy Greco, Vic Damone and more.

When George turned 36, he moved from New York to Hollywood and quickly established himself as a major television and motion picture force, landing notable TV series such as: Hawaii Five-O, Streets of San Francisco, Twilight Zone, Star Trek - the Next Generation, and many others.

At age 40, while writing for Hollywood, George started studying music with 12-tone-row pioneer George Tremblay. During the next 19 years, George developed new harmonic techniques, classical forms and structures, delved into the operatic world sketching out his Ode To Phaedra Opera, future concertos and tone poems.

At age 59, George relocated to Half Moon Bay, Calif., and has been devoting his time to writing serious compositions and working on commissioned pieces for jazz and military orchestras.


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