Jay Chattaway

From Wind Repertory Project
Jay Chattaway

Biography

Jay Chattaway (b. 8 July 1946, Monongahela, Penn.) is an American composer of film and television scores.

Mr. Chattaway began the study of piano at age seven and trumpet at 11. In junior high school, he began writing music and completed his first extended work while in high school. He received a scholarship to West Virginia University, studying composition there with Thomas Canning and Bud Udell. While working toward a master’s degree there, he was assistant director of the band. Later, he studied arranging and composition at the Eastman School of Music. He was conscripted into the military while working on his graduate degree and joined the Navy Band, serving as the unit's chief arranger and composer. After his discharge from the Navy, Chattaway moved to New York City to write music. He later moved to Los Angeles to compose for film.

He is mainly known for his work as composer for several Star Trek television series: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: Enterprise. The simple flute melody he composed for the TNG episode The Inner Light has been re-arranged for full orchestra and remains his best-known and most popular singular work.

Chattaway is also well known as an arranger of Big Band Charts for the Maynard Ferguson Orchestra during the 1970s, and he also composed or co-composed some of Maynard's hits, including Conquistador, Superbone Meets The Bad Man, and Primal Scream.

Like his counterparts Brian May and Robert O. Ragland, Chattaway's film scores include music for films such as Maniac, Vigilante, The Last Fight, The Big Score, Walking the Edge, The Rosebud Beach Hotel, Missing in Action, Home Free All, Invasion U.S.A., Silver Bullet, Braddock: Missing in Action III, Maniac Cop, Jakarta, Red Scorpion, Relentless, Maniac Cop 2, The Ambulance, and Rich Girl.

Chattaway has also written many works for high school and college marching, concert, and jazz bands. He appears frequently as a clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor.


Works for Winds


Resources