Lesley Barber (born 1962) is a Canadian

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

of music for film, theatre, chamber and orchestral ensembles and she is also a conductor, pianist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Barber is best known for composing the film scores for '' Manchester by the Sea, Late Night, You Can Count on Me'', ''

Mansfield Park ''Mansfield Park'' is the third published novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1814 by Thomas Egerton. A second edition was published in 1816 by John Murray, still within Austen's lifetime. The novel did not receive any public reviews unt ...

'', ''

Irreplaceable You ''Irreplaceable You'' is a 2018 American romantic comedy-drama film written by Bess Wohl and directed by Stephanie Laing. The film stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Michiel Huisman. It was released by Netflix on February 16, 2018. Plot Abbie and Sam hav ...

, Hysterical Blindness'', ''

When Night Is Falling ''When Night is Falling'' is a 1995 Canadian drama film directed by Patricia Rozema and starring Pascale Bussières and Rachael Crawford. It was entered into the 45th Berlin International Film Festival. Plot Camille Baker ( Pascale Bussières) i ...

'', and composing music for the animated television series '' Little Bear''.

Early life and education

Born in 1962 in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Barber started composing at age 10. She won several young composer awards and graduated with a master's degree in music composition from

The University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

in 1988, studying with

electro-acoustic music Electroacoustic music is a genre of popular and Western art music in which composers use technology to manipulate the timbres of acoustic sounds, sometimes by using audio signal processing, such as reverb or harmonizing, on acoustical instrumen ...

pioneer, composer

Gustav Ciamaga Gustav Ciamaga (April 10, 1930 – June 11, 2011) was a Canadian composer, music educator, and writer. An associate of the Canadian Music Centre and a member of the Canadian League of Composers, he was best known for his compositions of electroni ...

and composer Lothar Klein.

Career

After university, Barber spent several years scoring for the alternative theatre scene in Toronto, creating music for over 20 theatre productions. Notable theatre works include

Brad Fraser Brad Fraser (born June 28, 1959 in Edmonton, Alberta) is a Canadian playwright, screenwriter and cultural commentator.Gaetan Charlebois and Anne Nothof"Fraser, Brad" ''Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia'', June 2, 2019. He is one of the most widely pr ...

’s ''

Unidentified Human Remains and The True Nature of Love ''Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love'' is a 1989 stage play written by Canadian playwright Brad Fraser. Set in Edmonton, Alberta, the comedy-drama follows the lives of several sexually frustrated "thirty-somethings" who try ...

'' George F. Walker’s ''Love and Anger'', ''Nothing Sacred'', '' Escape from Happiness'', and Michel Garneau's ''The Warriors''. The latter two productions received

Dora Mavor Moore Award The Dora Mavor Moore Award (also known as the Dora Award) is an award presented annually by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts which honours theatre, dance and opera productions in Toronto. Named after Dora Mavor Moore, who helped estab ...

s for Outstanding Original Score. As a classical composer Barber has been commissioned by artists such as pianist Eve Egoyan, the Canadian Electronic Ensemble, Hemispheres Orchestra, and serving as Young Composer in Residence at the Festival of the Sound, and Winnipeg's New Music Festival. Works include Long White Line (for orchestra), Rhythmic Voodoo (percussion and electronica). Music for a Lonely Zamboni (piano trio) and Marshland (string quartet). Barber composed for

Yo-Yo Ma Yo-Yo Ma (''Chinese'': 馬友友 ''Ma Yo Yo''; born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from ...

for the television series ''

Inspired by Bach Inspired by Bach, a part of ''Sony Classical celebrates Bach'', presented the contemporary cellist Yo-Yo Ma performing the six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello by Johann Sebastian Bach, in a series of six films, each showing a collaboration with ...

''. Barber has cited as musical influences Takemitsu, Corigliano,

Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led ...

Sofia Gubaidulina Sofia Asgatovna Gubaidulina (russian: Софи́я Асгáтовна Губaйду́лина, link=no , tt-Cyrl, София Әсгать кызы Гобәйдуллина; born 24 October 1931) is a Soviet-Russian composer and an established ...

Steve Reich Stephen Michael Reich ( ; born October 3, 1936) is an American composer known for his contribution to the development of minimal music in the mid to late 1960s. Reich's work is marked by its use of repetitive figures, slow harmonic rhythm, a ...

PJ Harvey Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments. Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined loca ...

Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass) ...

Carter Burwell Carter Benedict Burwell (born November 18, 1954) is an American film composer. He has consistently collaborated with the Coen brothers, having scored most of their films. Burwell has also scored three of Todd Haynes's films, three of Spike Jonz ...

Ennio Morricone Ennio Morricone (; 10 November 19286 July 2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpeter who wrote music in a wide range of styles. With more than 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as more than 100 classica ...

, and

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...

. Barber's work on film scores includes

Kenneth Lonergan Kenneth Lonergan (born October 16, 1962) is an American film director, playwright, and screenwriter. He is the co-writer of the film ''Gangs of New York'' (2002), and wrote and directed '' You Can Count on Me'' (2000), ''Margaret'' (2011), and ' ...

’s

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 ...

-nominated feature film '' You Can Count on Me'',

Jerry Rothwell Jerry Rothwell is a British documentary filmmaker best known for the award-winning feature docs '' How to Change the World'' (2015), ''Town of Runners'' (2012), ''Donor Unknown'' (2010), ''Heavy Load'' (2008) and ''Deep Water'' (2006). All of his ...

's award-winning documentary, How to Change the World,

Mira Nair Mira Nair (born 15 October 1957) is an Indian-American filmmaker based in New York City. Her production company, Mirabai Films, specializes in films for international audiences on Indian society, whether in the economic, social or cultural sphe ...

’s

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

and

Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

award-winning '' Hysterical Blindness'' (starring

Uma Thurman Uma Karuna Thurman (born April 29, 1970) is an American actress and former model. She has performed in a variety of films, from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action films. Following her appearances on the December 1985 an ...

and

Gena Rowlands Virginia Cathryn "Gena" Rowlands (born June 19, 1930) is an American retired actress, whose career in film, stage, and television has spanned seven decades. A four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner, she is known for her collaborations ...

), Mary Harron's

The Moth Diaries ''The Moth Diaries'' is the debut novel of Rachel Klein, published in 2002. Plot summary At an exclusively girls' boarding school, a 16-year-old unnamed narrator, records her most intimate thoughts in a diary. The object of her growing obses ...

Patricia Rozema Patricia Rozema (born 20 August 1958) is a Canadian film director, writer and producer. She was part of a loosely-affiliated group of filmmakers to emerge in 1980s from Toronto known as the Toronto New Wave. Early life Rozema was born in King ...

’s ''

'' and ''

'', the award-winning children's classic television animated series '' Little Bear'' with

Maurice Sendak Maurice Bernard Sendak (; June 10, 1928 – May 8, 2012) was an American author and illustrator of children's books. He became most widely known for his book ''Where the Wild Things Are'', first published in 1963.Turan, Kenneth (October 16, 200 ...

Wiebke Von Carolsfeld Wiebke von Carolsfeld (born 1966) is a German Canadian film director, writer and editor."German's debut film perfectly Canadian". ''Vancouver Sun'', April 18, 2003. Her debut feature film as a director, '' Marion Bridge'', won the Toronto Interna ...

's Marion Bridge, the recently released powerhouse doc The Apology by Tiffany Hsiung and Kenneth Lonergan's award-winning '' Manchester by the Sea''. Lesleys other films include a remake of the film

Beaches A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shel ...

, Attiya Khan's award-winning documentary A Better Man, Boarding School, a horror adventure film written directed by

Boaz Yakin Boaz Yakin ( he, בועז יכין, born June 20, 1966) is an Israeli-American screenwriter, film director, and producer based in New York City. He has written screenplays to films like ''The Rookie'', ''Fresh'', ''A Price Above Rubies'', '' ...

, the

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

features ''

Nappily Ever After ''Nappily Ever After'' is a 2018 American romantic comedy film directed by Haifaa al-Mansour and written by Adam Brooks and Cee Marcellus. It is based on the novel of the same name by Trisha R. Thomas. The film stars Sanaa Lathan, Ernie Hudson, ...

'', directed by Haifaa alMansour, ''

'', directed by Stephanie Laing, and '' Late Night'', starring

Emma Thompson Dame Emma Thompson (born 15 April 1959) is a British actress. Regarded as one of the best actresses of her generation, she has received numerous accolades throughout her four-decade-long career, including two Academy Awards, two British A ...

and

Mindy Kaling Vera Mindy Chokalingam (born June 24, 1979),Additional archive on June 25, 2015. known professionally as Mindy Kaling (), is an American actress, comedian, screenwriter and producer. She first gained recognition starring as Kelly Kapoor in the N ...

, and directed by

Nisha Ganatra Nisha Ganatra (born June 25, 1974) is a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter, producer, and actress of Indian descent. She wrote, directed, and produced the independent comedy drama ''Chutney Popcorn'' (1999) and later directed the indepe ...

. Barber has recorded scores in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, and

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

and worked with

Miramax Miramax, LLC, also known as Miramax Films, is an American film and television production and distribution company founded on December 19, 1979, by brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein, and based in Los Angeles, California. It was initially a leadi ...

New Line New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

Focus Features Focus Features LLC is an American film production and distribution company, owned by Comcast as part of Universal Pictures, a division of its wholly owned subsidiary NBCUniversal. Focus Features distributes independent and foreign films in th ...

, Nickelodeon,

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

, and

Home Box Office Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

amongst others. In 2016, Barber was the first female composer to be feature on

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

Composer Roundtable, where she appeared next to

Hans Zimmer Hans Florian Zimmer (; born 12 September 1957) is a German film score composer and music producer. He has won two Academy Awards, Oscars and four Grammy Awards, Grammys, and has been nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards, Emmys and a Tony Awar ...

Justin Hurwitz Justin Gabriel Hurwitz (born January 22, 1985) is an American film composer and a television writer. He is best known for his longtime collaboration with director Damien Chazelle, scoring each of his films: ''Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench'' (2 ...

Nicholas Britell Nicholas Britell (born October 17, 1980) is an American film composer. He has scored both of Barry Jenkins's studio films, ''Moonlight'' (2016) and ''If Beale Street Could Talk'' (2018), both of which received nominations for Best Original Sco ...

John Debney John Cardon Debney (born August 18, 1956) is an American composer and conductor of film, television, and video game scores. His work encompasses a variety of mediums and genres including comedy, horror, thriller, and action-adventure. He is a ...

, and

Hauschka Volker Bertelmann (born 1966) is a German pianist and composer who mainly performs and records under the name Hauschka. He is best known for his compositions for prepared piano. Early life Volker Bertelmann was born in Kreuztal, Germany. He ...

Personal life

Barber has two children with her former partner, film director

Filmography

*''

Four Weddings and a Funeral (miniseries) ''Four Weddings and a Funeral'' is an American romantic comedy streaming television miniseries, based on the 1994 British film of the same name written by Richard Curtis. The miniseries, which premiered on July 31, 2019 on Hulu, was created by Mi ...

'' (2019) *'' Late Night'' (2019) *''

'' (2018) *''

Boarding School A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...

'' (2018) *''

'' (2017) *'' A Better Man'' (2017) *'' Manchester by the Sea'' (2016) *'' The Apology'' (2016) * ''How to Change the World'' (2015) *''Pete's Christmas'' (2015) *''

'' (2011) *'' A Child's Garden of Poetry'' (2010) *''Girls on Top'' (2010) *''

Victoria Day Victoria Day (french: Fête de la Reine, lit=Celebration of the Queen) is a federal Canadian public holiday celebrated on the last Monday preceding May 25. Initially in honour of Queen Victoria's birthday, it has since been celebrated as the offi ...

'' (2009) *'' Kit Kittredge: An American Girl'' (2008) (additional music) *''

Death in Love ''Death in Love'' is a 2008 psychosexual erotic thriller about a love affair between a Jewish woman and a doctor overseeing human experimentation at a Nazi German concentration camp, and the impact this has on her sons' lives in the 1990s. The fil ...

'' (2008) *''

A Thousand Years of Good Prayers ''A Thousand Years of Good Prayers'' is a 2007 American drama film directed by Wayne Wang and starring Faye Yu, Henry O, Vida Ghahremani and Pasha D. Lychnikoff. It is adapted from the short story by Yiyun Li and shot on a high-end high-def ...

'' (2007) *''Comeback Season'' (2006) *''

We Don't Live Here Anymore ''We Don't Live Here Anymore'' is a 2004 drama film directed by John Curran and starring Mark Ruffalo, Laura Dern, Peter Krause, and Naomi Watts. It is based on the short stories ''We Don't Live Here Anymore'' and ''Adultery'' by Andre Dubus. S ...

'' (2004) (additional music) *''

’s

Seven Little Monsters ''Seven Little Monsters'' is a children's picture book by American author and illustrator Maurice Sendak. Published by Harper & Row in 1977, it was originally created as an animated short for Sesame Street in 1971 and served as the basis for the C ...

'' (2000–2003) TV Series (all episodes) *''The Real Jane Austen'' (2002) (TV) *'' Marion Bridge'' (2002) *'' Hysterical Blindness'' (2002) (TV) *''

The Little Bear Movie ''The Little Bear Movie'' is a 2001 animated adventure film based on the television series '' Little Bear'', which in turn is based on the book series of the same name which was written by Else Holmelund Minarik and illustrated by Maurice Senda ...

'' (2001) *'' You Can Count on Me'' (2000) *''This Might Be Good'' (2000) *''

'' (1999) *''Luminous Motion'' (1998) *''

A Price Above Rubies ''A Price Above Rubies'' is a 1998 British-American drama film written and directed by Boaz Yakin and starring Renée Zellweger. The story centers on a young woman who finds it difficult to conform to the restrictions imposed on her by her communi ...

'' (1998) *''

Los Locos ''Los Locos'', also known as ''Los Locos: Posse Rides Again'', is a 1997 Western film directed by Jean-Marc Vallée, written by and starring Mario Van Peebles. It also stars Melora Walters, René Auberjonois, and Danny Trejo. Plot During the 180 ...

: Posse Rides Again'' (1997) *''Yo-Yo Ma

- Bach Cello Suite #6: Six Gestures'' (1997) TV series *''Turning April'' (1996) *''What's His Face'' (1995) *''

'' (1995) *'' Little Bear'' (1995-2003) TV series (all 65 episodes)

Music

*''

'' (2009) conductor, orchestrator *'' Kit Kittredge: An American Girl'' (2008) orchestrator *''

'' (2007) conductor, orchestrator *''Comeback Season'' (2006) orchestrator *''

Being Julia ''Being Julia'' is a 2004 comedy-drama film directed by István Szabó and starring Annette Bening and Jeremy Irons. The screenplay by Ronald Harwood is based on the novel ''Theatre'' (1937) by W. Somerset Maugham. The original film score was com ...

'' (2004) song producer *''

’s

'' (2000–2003) conductor, orchestrator *'' Marion Bridge'' (2002) orchestrator *'' Hysterical Blindness'' (2002) (TV) conductor, orchestrator *''

'' (2001) orchestrator *'' You Can Count on Me'' (2000) orchestrator *''

'' (1999) orchestrator *''Luminous Motion'' (1998) (conductor) orchestrator *''

'' (1998) orchestrator *''Turning April'' (1996) conductor, orchestrator *''

'' (1995) conductor, orchestrator

References

External links

Official Website of Lesley Barber
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Barber, Lesley 1962 births 20th-century Canadian women musicians 21st-century Canadian women musicians Canadian film score composers Canadian lesbian musicians Canadian women composers LGBT film score composers Living people Musicians from Toronto Women film score composers