Gene Forrell (1915–2005) was an American composer and conductor. Forrell was born Eugene Finkelhor in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, United States, where he attended

Allderdice High School Taylor Allderdice High School is a public high school in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It opened in 1927 and is part of the Pittsburgh Public Schools district. It was named for industrialist and Squir ...

and

Duquesne University Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit ( or ; Duquesne University or Duquesne) is a private Catholic research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit , image = Holy Gh ...

. He left Duquesne for

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and a scholarship from the Dalcroze School. As a composer and orchestral conductor he worked in theater, dance, and television. He wrote the soundtrack to ''N.Y., N.Y. — A Day in New York'', 1957, filmed by Francis Thompson. According to IMDB.com, "The soundtrack is light, breezy, and staccato." His other soundtrack credits include ''To Be Alive,'' a 1964

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

-winning documentary. He served as a musical director in Europe and America. In England, he conducted the Alexandra Choral Society, the Enfield Grand Opera, the English Sinfonia, and the English National Orchestra. He also wrote commercial jingles. For several years, he conducted and recorded the popular Firestone Christmas albums. Forrell was also a longtime board member of the

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Maya Deren Maya Deren (born Eleonora Derenkowska, uk, Елеоно́ра Деренко́вська, links=no;

. Forrell died on September 21, 2005, at his home in New York.

References

* Monica L. Haynes (2005)
Obituary: Gene Forrell: Award-winning composer and conductor
Retrieved September 28, 2005. * J. Hailey (2013)
N.Y., N.Y.: Storyline
Retrieved August 2, 2013. {{DEFAULTSORT:Forrell, Gene 1915 births 2005 deaths Musicians from Pittsburgh American male conductors (music) Duquesne University alumni Taylor Allderdice High School alumni Classical musicians from Pennsylvania 20th-century American conductors (music) 20th-century American male musicians