Rachel Mary Berkeley Portman,
FilmReference.com OBE (born 11 December 1960) is an English composer who is best known for scoring films.

Early life and education

Portman was born in

Haslemere The town of Haslemere () and the villages of Shottermill and Grayswood are in south west Surrey, England, around south west of London. Together with the settlements of Hindhead and Beacon Hill, they comprise the civil parish of Haslemere i ...

in Surrey, England, the daughter of Sheila Margaret Penelope (née Mowat) Portman and Berkeley Charles Berkeley Portman. She was educated at

Charterhouse Charterhouse may refer to: * Charterhouse (monastery), of the Carthusian religious order Charterhouse may also refer to: Places * The Charterhouse, Coventry, a former monastery * Charterhouse School, an English public school in Surrey London ...

and became interested in music from a young age, beginning composing at the age of 14. After finishing school, Portman studied Music at

Worcester College Worcester College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms w ...

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. It was here that her interest in composing music for films began as she started experimenting with writing music for student films and theatre productions.

Career

Portman's career in music began with writing music for drama in BBC and Channel 4 films such as ''

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit ''Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit'' is a novel by Jeanette Winterson published in 1985 by Pandora Press. It is a coming-of-age story about a lesbian girl who grows up in an English Pentecostal community. Key themes of the book include transition ...

'',

Mike Leigh Mike Leigh (born 20 February 1943) is an English film and theatre director, screenwriter and playwright. He studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and further at the Camberwell School of Art, the Central School of Art and Design ...

's ''

Four Days in July ''Four Days in July'' is a 1984 television film by Mike Leigh. Set and filmed in Belfast, the film explores the Troubles by following the daily lives of two couples on either side of Northern Ireland's religious divide, both expecting their fir ...

'' and

Jim Henson James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide notice as the creator of The Muppets and '' Fraggle Rock'' (1983–1987) and ...

's '' Storyteller'' series. Since then, Portman has written over 100 scores for film, television and theatre. Her other works include a children's opera, ''

The Little Prince ''The Little Prince'' (french: Le Petit Prince, ) is a novella by French aristocrat, writer, and military pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It was first published in English and French in the United States by Reynal & Hitchcock in April 1943 an ...

'' (which was later adapted for television) and ''

Little House on the Prairie The ''Little House on the Prairie'' books is a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder (b. Laura Elizabeth Ingalls). The stories are based on her childhood and adolescence in the Midwestern United States, American M ...

'', a

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

based upon the

Laura Ingalls Wilder Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder (February 7, 1867 – February 10, 1957) was an American writer, mostly known for the ''Little House on the Prairie'' series of children's books, published between 1932 and 1943, which were based on her childhood ...

books ''

'' (2008). Portman was commissioned to write a piece of choral music for the BBC Proms series in August 2007 called ''The Water Diviner's Tale''.

Awards and honours

Portman's first award was received as the result of scoring "a large body of work" for '' The Storyteller'', for which she received the

Anthony Asquith Anthony William Landon Asquith (; 9 November 1902 – 20 February 1968) was an English film director. He collaborated successfully with playwright Terence Rattigan on ''The Winslow Boy'' (1948) and '' The Browning Version'' (1951), among oth ...

Award from the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

. Later, Portman became the first female composer to win an

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 ...

in the category of Best Musical or Comedy Score (for '' Emma'' in 1996). Portman was also nominated for Academy Awards for her scores for ''

The Cider House Rules ''The Cider House Rules'' (1985) is a novel by American writer John Irving, a ''Bildungsroman'' that was later adapted into a 1999 film and a stage play by Peter Parnell. The story, set in the pre– and post–World War II era, tells of a youn ...

'' in 1999 and '' Chocolat'' in 2000. On 19 May 2010, she was given the Richard Kirk Award at the BMI Film & TV Awards for her contributions to film and television music. Portman is the first woman to receive the honour. Portman was appointed

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(OBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours. In 2015, Portman received the

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie, or a Special This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special. Starting in 2019, the category recognizes scripted programs. Unscripted programs compete for ...

for her work on Bessie. 2022 she was honoured with the Career Achievement Award at the

Zurich Film Festival Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) is an annual film festival that has been held in Zürich, Switzerland, since 2005. The festival's main focus is to promote emerging filmmakers from all over the world. In three competition categories only first, second ...

Personal life

Portman married producer

Uberto Pasolini Uberto Pasolini Dall'Onda (born 1 May 1957 in Rome, Italy) is an Italian film producer, director, and former investment banker known for producing the 1997 film ''The Full Monty'' and directing and producing the 2008 film '' Machan'' and the 201 ...

in 1995, but the couple divorced in 2006; they have three children.

Filmography

*'' Privileged'' (1982) *''Reflections'' (1984) *''Last Day of Summer'' (1984) *''

'' (1985) *''Sharma and Beyond'' (1986) *''Good as Gold'' (1986) *''

A Little Princess ''A Little Princess'' is a children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, first published as a book in 1905. It is an expanded version of the short story "Sara Crewe: or, What Happened at Miss Minchin's", which was serialized in '' St. Nicholas M ...

'' (1986) *''1914 All Out'' (1987) *''The Short and Curlies'' (1987) *''The Falklands War: The Untold Story'' (1987) *''90 Degrees South'' (1987) *'' The Storyteller'' (1988) TV Series *''Loving Hazel'' (1988) *''Sometime in August'' (1988) *''

The Woman in Black ''The Woman in Black'' is a 1983 gothic horror novel by English writer Susan Hill. The plot concerns a mysterious spectre that haunts a small English town. A television film based on the story, also called '' The Woman in Black'', was produced ...

'' (1989) *''Young Charlie Chaplin'' (1989) *''

Monster Maker "Monster Maker" is a 1989 45-minute television special, adapted by Matthew Jacobs from the 1979 novel of the same name by Nicholas Fisk. Harry Dean Stanton plays an American Special Effects expert living in England, who is befriended by a young ...

'' (1989) *''Living with Dinosaurs'' (1989) *''

Precious Bane ''Precious Bane'' is a historical romance by Mary Webb, first published in 1924. It won the Prix Femina Vie Heureuse Prize in 1926. Synopsis The story is set in rural Shropshire during the Napoleonic Wars. It is narrated by the central charac ...

'' (1989) (TV) *''

'' (1990) *'' Shoot to Kill'' (1990) *'' Life Is Sweet'' (1990) *''The Storyteller: Greek Myths'' (1990) *''

The Widowmaker ''The Widowmaker'' is a 1990 made-for-television film directed by John Madden and starring Annabelle Apsion, Alun Armstrong, David Morrissey and Kenneth Welsh. The film deals with a woman whose husband has been arrested after going on a killi ...

'' (1990) *''

Where Angels Fear to Tread ''Where Angels Fear to Tread'' (1905) is a novel by E. M. Forster. The title comes from a line in Alexander Pope's ''An Essay on Criticism'': "For fools rush in where angels fear to tread". The BBC adapted the novel for television in 1966 as ...

'' (1991) *''

Antonia and Jane ''Antonia and Jane'' is a 1990 comedy film directed by Beeban Kidron and starring Saskia Reeves and Imelda Staunton in the title roles, shown in ScreenPlay on 18 July 1990. It is about two mismatched woman friends who have had a love–hate re ...

'' (1991) *'' Flea Bites'' (1991) (TV) *'' Elizabeth R: A Year in the Life of the Queen'' (1992) (TV) *''

Used People ''Used People'' is a 1992 romantic comedy film directed by Beeban Kidron. The film stars Shirley MacLaine, Marcello Mastroianni, Bob Dishy, Kathy Bates, Marcia Gay Harden, Jessica Tandy, Doris Roberts and Joe Pantoliano. The screenplay by Todd Gra ...

'' (1992) *''Mr Wakefield's Crusade'' (1992) (TV) *''

Rebecca's Daughters ''Rebecca's Daughters'' is a 1992 Welsh and German comedy adventure film about the Rebecca Riots, directed by Karl Francis. The film was based on a story by Dylan Thomas. The screenplay was originally written in 1948 by Thomas, and was publi ...

'' (1992) *''

The Cloning of Joanna May ''The Cloning of Joanna May'' is a 1989 science fiction novel by Fay Weldon. Plot introduction Joanna May was once married to Carl May, the wealthy chief executive officer, CEO of a Nuclear power, nuclear energy corporation, but they have been ...

'' (1992) *''

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa ...

'' (1993) *'' The Joy Luck Club'' (1993) *''

Benny & Joon ''Benny & Joon'' is a 1993 American romantic comedy-drama film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer about how two eccentric individuals, Sam (Johnny Depp) and Juniper "Joon" (Mary Stuart Masterson), find each other and fall in love. Aidan Quinn also st ...

'' (1993) *''

Ethan Frome ''Ethan Frome'' is a 1911 book by American author Edith Wharton. It is set in the fictitious town of Starkfield, Massachusetts. The novel has been adapted into a '' film of the same name''. Plot The novel is a framed narrative. The framing sto ...

'' (1993) *'' Great Moments in Aviation'' (1993) *''

The Road to Wellville ''The Road to Wellville'' is a 1993 novel by American author T. Coraghessan Boyle. Set in Battle Creek, Michigan, during the early days of breakfast cereals, the story includes a historical fictionalization of John Harvey Kellogg, the inventor of ...

'' (1994) *'' Only You'' (1994) *''

Sirens Siren or sirens may refer to: Common meanings * Siren (alarm), a loud acoustic alarm used to alert people to emergencies * Siren (mythology), an enchanting but dangerous monster in Greek mythology Places * Siren (town), Wisconsin * Siren, Wisco ...

'' (1994) *'' War of the Buttons'' (1994) *''

To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar ''To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar'' is a 1995 American road comedy film directed by Beeban Kidron and starring Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze, and John Leguizamo as three New York City drag queens who embark on a road trip. Its t ...

'' (1995) *''

Palookaville Palookaville may refer to: * ''Palookaville'' (film), a 1995 comedy film * ''Palookaville'' (album), a 2004 electronic album by Fatboy Slim * ''Palookaville'' (comics), an alternative comic book See also * Palooka (disambiguation) {{disa ...

'' (1995) *''

Smoke Smoke is a suspension of airborne particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with the quantity of air that is entrained or otherwise mixed into the mass. It is commonly an unwanted by-product ...

'' (1995) *'' A Pyromaniac's Love Story'' (1995) *'' Marvin's Room'' (1996) *'' Emma'' (1996) (Won the

for Best Musical or Comedy Score) *''

The Adventures of Pinocchio ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' ( ; it, Le avventure di Pinocchio ; commonly shortened to ''Pinocchio'') is a children's fantasy novel by Italian author Carlo Collodi. It is about the mischievous adventures of an animated marionette named Pinocc ...

'' (1996) *'' Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas'' (1997) *'' Addicted to Love'' (1997) *''

Beloved Beloved may refer to: Books * ''Beloved'' (novel), a 1987 novel by Toni Morrison * ''The Beloved'' (Faulkner novel), a 2012 novel by Australian author Annah Faulkner *''Beloved'', a 1993 historical romance about Zenobia, by Bertrice Small Film ...

'' (1998) *''

Home Fries Home fries (US, Canada), house fries (US), American fries (US), fried potatoes (UK, Canada and regional US), Bratkartoffeln (German), bistro potatoes (southeastern US), or peasant potatoes are a type of basic potato dish made by pan- or skillet ...

'' (1998) *''

'' (1999) (

Nomination for Best Original Score) *'' Ratcatcher'' (1999) *''

The Other Sister ''The Other Sister'' is a 1999 American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall and stars Juliette Lewis, Giovanni Ribisi, Diane Keaton and Tom Skerritt. It was filmed in Long Beach, Pasadena, and San Francisco, California. The film was ...

'' (1999) *'' Chocolat'' (2000) (

Nomination for Best Original Score) *''

The Legend of Bagger Vance ''The Legend of Bagger Vance'' is a 2000 American sports film directed by Robert Redford, and starring Will Smith, Matt Damon and Charlize Theron. The screenplay by Jeremy Leven is based on Steven Pressfield's 1995 book '' The Legend of Bagger V ...

'' (2000) *''The Closer You Get'' (2000) *''

The Emperor's New Clothes "The Emperor's New Clothes" ( da, Kejserens nye klæder ) is a literary folktale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, about a vain emperor who gets exposed before his subjects. The tale has been translated into over 100 languages.A ...

'' (2001) *''

Nicholas Nickleby ''Nicholas Nickleby'' or ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby'' (or also ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Containing a Faithful Account of the Fortunes, Misfortunes, Uprisings, Downfallings, and Complete Career of the ...

'' (2002) *'' The Truth About Charlie'' (2002) *''

Hart's War ''Hart's War'' is a 2002 American war drama film about a World War II prisoner of war (POW) camp based on the novel by John Katzenbach. It stars Bruce Willis as Col. William McNamara and Colin Farrell as Lt. Thomas Hart. The film co-stars Terrence ...

'' (2002) *''

Mona Lisa Smile ''Mona Lisa Smile'' is a 2003 American drama film produced by Revolution Studios and Columbia Pictures in association with Red Om Films Productions, directed by Mike Newell, written by Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal, and starring Julia Rob ...

'' (2003) *''

The Human Stain ''The Human Stain'' is a novel by Philip Roth, published May 5, 2000. The book is set in Western Massachusetts in the late 1990s. It is narrated by 65-year-old author Nathan Zuckerman, who appears in several earlier Roth novels, and who also figu ...

'' (2003) *''

The Manchurian Candidate ''The Manchurian Candidate'' is a novel by Richard Condon, first published in 1959. It is a political thriller about the son of a prominent U.S. political family who is brainwashed into being an unwitting assassin for a Communist conspiracy. The ...

'' (2004) *''Lard'' (2004) *''

Oliver Twist ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy's Progress'', Charles Dickens's second novel, was published as a serial from 1837 to 1839, and as a three-volume book in 1838. Born in a workhouse, the orphan Oliver Twist is bound into apprenticeship with ...

'' (2005) *''Define Normal'' (2005) *''

Because of Winn-Dixie ''Because of Winn-Dixie'' is a 2000 children's novel written by Kate DiCamillo. It was adapted as a 2005 family film directed by Wayne Wang, produced by Walden Media and Twentieth Century Fox, and starring AnnaSophia Robb as Opal Buloni.

'' (2005) *''

Infamous Infamous may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * ''Infamous'' (2006 film), an American drama film * ''Infamous'' (2020 film), an American crime thriller film * "Infamous", an episode of ''Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinj ...

'' (2006) *'' The Lake House'' (2006) *''H2Hope: The Water Diviner's Tale (Musical, BBC Prom 57)'' (2007) *''

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 ''The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2'' is a 2008 American comedy-drama film and a sequel to the 2005 film ''The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants''. The original cast (Amber Tamblyn, America Ferrera, Blake Lively and Alexis Bledel) return t ...

'' (2008) *'' The Duchess'' (2008) *''

Grey Gardens ''Grey Gardens'' is a 1975 American documentary film by Albert and David Maysles. The film depicts the everyday lives of two reclusive, upper-class women, a mother and daughter both named Edith Beale, who lived in poverty at Grey Gardens, a ...

'' (2009) *'' Never Let Me Go'' (2010) *''

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan ''Snow Flower and the Secret Fan'' is a 2005 novel by Lisa See set in nineteenth-century China. In her introduction to the novel, See writes that Lily, the narrator, was born on June 5, 1824—"the fifth day of the sixth month of the third year ...

'' (2010) *'' One Day'' (2011) *''

Bel Ami ''Bel-Ami'' (, "Dear Friend") is the second novel by French author Guy de Maupassant, published in 1885; an English translation titled ''Bel Ami, or, The History of a Scoundrel: A Novel'' first appeared in 1903. The story chronicles journalist ...

'' (2011; shared scoring credit with Lakshman Joseph De Saram) *'' The Vow'' (2012; some of the film also scored by

Michael Brook Michael Brook (born 1951) is a Canadian guitarist, inventor, music producer, and film music composer. He plays in many genres, including rock, electronica, world music, minimalism and film scores. His collaborations with musicians around the worl ...

) *''

Private Peaceful ''Private Peaceful'' is a novel for older children by British author Michael Morpurgo first published in 2003. It is about a fictional young soldier called Thomas "Tommo" Peaceful, who is looking back on his life from the trenches of World War ...

'' (2012) *''

Still Life A still life (plural: still lifes) is a work of art depicting mostly wikt:inanimate, inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which are either natural (food, flowers, dead animals, plants, rocks, shells, etc.) or artificiality, m ...

'' (2013) *''

Paradise In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in paradis ...

'' (2013) *''

Girl Rising Girl Rising is a global movement for girls' education, based primarily around a 2013 feature film, ''Girl Rising''. Film The movie ''Girl Rising'' was produced by Kayce Freed, Tom Yellin and Holly Gordon at The Documentary Group in partnership w ...

'' (documentary) (2013) *'' The Right Kind of Wrong'' (2013) *'' Belle'' (2013; wide release 2014) *''

Dolphin Tale 2 ''Dolphin Tale 2'' is a 2014 American family film written and directed by Charles Martin Smith as the sequel to his 2011 film ''Dolphin Tale'' which in-turn was based on the true story about a rescued bottlenose dolphin named Winter who made her f ...

'' (2014) *'' Bessie'' (2015) (won the

Emmy Award 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 ...

for Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special) *''Mog's Christmas Calamity'' (2015) *'' Despite the Falling Snow'' (2016) *''

Their Finest ''Their Finest'' is a 2016 British war comedy-drama film, directed by Lone Scherfig, written by Gaby Chiappe, and based on the 2009 novel ''Their Finest Hour and a Half'' by Lissa Evans. The film stars Gemma Arterton, Sam Claflin, Bill Nighy, ...

'' (2016) *''

Race Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to: * Race (biology), an informal taxonomic classification within a species, generally within a sub-species * Race (human categorization), classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, and/or s ...

'' (2016) *''

A Dog's Purpose ''A Dog's Purpose'' is a 2010 novel written by American author W. Bruce Cameron. It chronicles a dog's journey through four lives via reincarnation and how he looks for his purpose through each. The novel was a ''New York Times'' bestseller f ...

'' (2017) *''Mimi and the Mountain Dragon'' (2019) *'' Godmothered'' (2020)

References

External links

*
Rachel Portman
at the Danish Filmmusic Society {{DEFAULTSORT:Portman, Rachel 1960 births 20th-century classical composers 20th-century English composers 20th-century English women musicians 20th-century women composers 21st-century classical composers 21st-century English composers 21st-century English women musicians 21st-century women composers Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford Animation composers Best Original Music Score Academy Award winners English classical composers English film score composers English opera composers Women classical composers Women film score composers Women opera composers Georges Delerue Award winners Living people Primetime Emmy Award winners Officers of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Charterhouse School People from Haslemere Varèse Sarabande Records artists