- The most comprehensive worldwide listing of musicians and composers ever published
- Find favourite accompanists or the right artist for your screening or scoring project
- There are currently around 400 entries of active musicians – and counting
- The Hall of Fame section features some notable musicians of the past
See also: Silent Film Musicians Directory, Part 2: The Americas
L’heure de la mélodie aka Melody Hour by Louis Icart (1888–1950) alt/alt
It’s often said that music is half the film, and this is especially true of silents. Whether it be a restored DVD, Blu-ray, DCP or an actual print, it’s vitally important that all silent films have appropriate, good quality musical accompaniment. This is a listing of most of the best musicians performing in the world today. Although many regularly play internationally, they are categorised by their main countries of residence and listed alphabetically by their full names. For example, both Lillian Henley and the Live Film Orchestra are under ‘L’. If you have any suggestions for musicians or links not listed, let me know. Musicians based in the Americas are covered in Part 2.
Musicians and promoters are welcome to tag or message me on social media for sharing events.
Contents
Ziegfeld girl Lucille Layton in 1923. She was in the Ziegfeld Midnight Frolic on Broadway in 1921, remained active well into her dotage and died in December 2004, aged 101. More/alt
Australia
Blue Grassy Knoll: website, Facebook, Wikipedia, YouTube, YouTube#2, YouTube#3
David Johnston: website, ATOS, YouTube, YouTube #2
Mauro Colombis: website, Music Teachers Online, Australia’s Silent Film Festival, YouTube, Vimeo
New Pollutants: Wikipedia, YouTube, BandCamp
Viola Dana: website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo
Austria
Elaine Loebenstein: website, Linktree, YouTube, SoundCloud
Gerhard Gruber: website, silent film repertoire, blog (inactive), Facebook, Twitter, German | English Wikipedia, YouTube, Vimeo
Orchester Filmharmonie: website, Facebook, YouTube
Czech Republic
Czech Film Orchestra: website, Wikipedia
Trailers 09, 12, 15, 19, 19a, 20, 21, 22, 22a, 23 | clips | rmk
- US: Criterion BD (2019) and DVD (2001) GA
- Criterion Prime Video HD – GA
- UK: Tartan Video DVD (2007) GA/MB+
- Radiance 2-BD (2024) MB+
These restored releases of Häxan aka Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922) have a reconstructed compilation score by Gillian Anderson and the Czech Film Orchestra, a Matti Bye orchestral score, and others where indicated.
- France: Potemkine 2-DVD (2011) GA/MB+ | trailer
- Sweden: Svenska Filminstitutet DVD (2007) MB, also in 6-DVD Svenska Stumfilmsklassiker
Häxan: Terror Through the Ages | Mark Kermode’s review | Caps-a-holic
- Häxan: The Real Unreal – Chris Fujiwara
- Häxan: About the Music – Gillian Anderson
- Häxan: “Let Her Suffering Begin” – Chloé Germaine Buckley
- Häxan: Satanic Foreign Film Banned in the US – Kristin Hunt
- The Witch and Hysteric: The Monstrous Medieval in Häxan (2014) – Alex Doty and Pat Ingham
Finland
Hillel Tokazier: website
Lau Nau: website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
Trio Mutual/Janne Kuusinen: website, Twitter
France
Art Zoyd: website, Facebook, French | English Wikipedia, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo, Nosferatu score
Jean-François Zygel: Enzo Productions page, medici.tv page, French | English Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, 2015 interview, 2016 interview
Jeremy Baysse: website, YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud
Quatuor Prima Vista: website, website#2, French | English Wikipedia, YouTube
Laurent Pontoizeau: website, Facebook, YouTube
Serge Bromberg: website, Wikipedia, IMDb, Facebook, Sept 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and Dec 2018 interviews
Touve R. Ratovondrahety: website, Twitter, Wikipedia, Oct 2012 interview, YouTube
Germany
Aljoscha Zimmermann Ensemble: website, Facebook, YouTube – also see Aljoscha Zimmermann
Mark Pogolski: website, YouTube
Andreas Benz: Facebook, 2008 article
Antonio Bras: website, Facebook, YouTube
Ascolta: website
Babylon Orchester Berlin: website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube
Bernd Schultheis (composer; active?): website, YouTube, IMDb
Bernd Wilden: Musikverein der Stadt Bielefeld profile, Oct 2007 interview, Jan 2011 article
ChamberJazz: website
Daniel Kothenschulte: Wikipedia, Sept 2015 article, YouTube
Dirk Kuntze aka DJ D’dread: website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, April 2013 interview, Feb 2016 article, YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud
Drums and Movies: website
Eiston: website
Ekkehard Wölk: blog, YouTube, Wikipedia, 2009 interview
ensemble KONTRASTE: website, Facebook, YouTube
Eunice Martins: website, YouTube, Vimeo
Europäische FilmPhilharmonie: website, Facebook, Wikipedia
Filmorchester Babelsberg: website, Wikipedia, Vimeo
- Christian Matthias Kaufmann (composer): Vimeo, SoundCloud
Florian C. Reithner: website, Aug 2015 article, YouTube, YouTube #2, SoundCloud
Frank Bockius: website, YouTube, Vimeo
Franz Danksagmüller: website, Musikhochschule Lübeck, Wikipedia, YouTube, YouTube #2
Günter Buchwald: website, Twitter, Oct 2011 interview, YouTube, Vimeo
Hans Brandner: website, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo
Harry Kulzer: website
Helmut Imig (conductor/composer): website, Wikipedia, YouTube, Vimeo
Hui-Chun Lin: website, Facebook, YouTube
Interzone perceptible: website, Facebook, Wikipedia, YouTube
Joachim Bärenz: webpage, IMDb, Aug 2008 interview, Oct 2015 article, YouTube
Klavierduo Kolodochka: website, Facebook, YouTube
Jürgen Kurz: Facebook, bio, 2015 interview
Lucía Martínez: website, Facebook, Wikipedia, YouTube, YouTube #2, Vimeo, SoundCloud
Marie-Luise Bolte: website, Vimeo
Mathias Rehfeldt: website, Facebook, Wikipedia, YouTube, Vimeo
Masako Ohta: website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
M-cine: website, Facebook, Twitter, March 2015 article, YouTube, Vimeo
- Dorothee Haddenbruch: website
- Katharina Stashik: Musikschule Haan, Deutsches Saxophon Ensemble
Metropolis Orchester Berlin: website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, 2020 HD livestream
Michael Klubertanz: website, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo
Molitors Stummfilmtheater: Band-Book
Die Negerländer: website, YouTube
- Norbert Vollath: website
Otto Maria Krämer: website
The Penguin Walkers (ex-Trio Celluloid): website
Picture Palace music: website, Facebook, Facebook group, YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud
PhonoKlangGalerie: website
Richard Siedhoff: website, Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, 2014 video profile, 2021 article
Salon Orchester Berlin: website, Facebook, Vimeo
Silentones (active?): website
Staatsorchester Braunschweig: website, Facebook, Wikipedia, YouTube
Stadtorchester Holstenwall: website
Stephane Mottoul: website, Twitter, YouTube
Stephan Graf von Bothmer: website, website #2, Facebook, Wikipedia, Aug 2007 interview, YouTube
Stefan Heidtmann: website, website #2
Stefan Moser: website
stummfilm:dj: website, Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo
Tilo Augsten: website, YouTube
Trioglyzerin: website, Facebook, Twitter, Feb 2014 article, SoundCloud
Tuten und Blasen (Toot and Bubbles): website, Facebook
Uwe Oberg: website, Facebook, Vimeo
Wanderkino: website, Website #2, Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo
WeberWendt: website
Werner Cee: website, webpage, Wikipedia, Vimeo, SoundCloud
Werner Küspert: website, YouTube
Werner Loll and Gerhard Breier: website, April 2013 interview
Wolfgang Zettl: website
Wilfried Kaets: website
Sabine Zimmer: website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
Italy
Antonio Coppola: website, YouTube
Edison Studio: website, Facebook, YouTube
Giardini di Mirò: website, Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia, YouTube, Vimeo
Gillian Anderson (composer): website, YouTube
Giovanni Renzo: website, Facebook, Nov 2014 article, YouTube
Billi Brass Quintet: website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, SoundCloud
Marco Dalpane: website, YouTube, Vimeo
Mario Mariani: website, Facebook, Twitter, English | Italian Wikipedia, IMDb, YouTube, Vimeo
Michele Catania: Facebook, YouTube,
Roberto Musci: website, Twitter, Wikipedia, YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud
Romano Todesco: website, YouTube
I Solisti Lombardi: website
- Alessandro Calcagnile: website, website #2, YouTube, YouTube #2
- Rossella Spinosa: website, June 2012 | Aug 2012 interview
- Gran Festival del Cinema Muto: website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, YouTube #2, YouTube #3
Zerorchestra: website, YouTube
Japan
Joe Hisaishi (composer): website, Facebook, Wikipedia, IMDb, YouTube
Mie Yanashita: webpage, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Wikipedia, YouTube, Vimeo
Netherlands
Anne-Maartje Lemereis: website, Twitter, YouTube, SoundCloud , July 2017 and Nov 2017 interviews
Daan van den Hurk: website, Facebook, Muziekschool Ceres, Nederlands Silent Film Festival
The Houdini’s: website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
Hugo van Neck: website, YouTube
James Whale Orchestra: Oliver Parr, website, Instagram, YouTube
Kinetophone: website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud
Marco Llano: website, Facebook, YouTube
Maud Nelissen: website, YouTube, Vimeo
Yvo Verschoor: website, YouTube, Vimeo
New Zealand
Johannes Contag (composer): website, Vimeo, Vimeo #2, Aug 2016 interview
Norway
Halldor Krogh (composer): Lillehammer University College, Musikkteknikk, IMDb, YouTube, YouTube #2, YouTube #3
Poland
Czerwie: website, Facebook, YouTube, YouTube #2
Portugal
Charlie Mancini: website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, May 2015 interview, YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud
Slovenia
Andrej Goričar: Franc Šturm Music School, Wikipedia, YouTube, YouTube #2
Spain
Caspervek Trio: website, Facebook, Twitter, A Year with Caspervek Trio (2015) free ebook | alt link, YouTube, Vimeo
Javiér Pérez de Azpeitia and The Silent Band: webpage, interview, YouTube
Sweden
Matti Bye: website, Matti Bye Ensemble, Facebook, Wikipedia, IMDb, April 2015 interview, rotor records, YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud
Switzerland
Armin Brunner: website, YouTube
Olav Lervik: website, YouTube, Vimeo
UK
Albert Lamb: Facebook, books on Amazon
Antwerp: Facebook, Twitter, BandCamp, YouTube
British Sea Power: website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, YouTube #2, Vimeo
Bronnt Industries Kapital: website, Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia, YouTube, Vimeo
Buster Birch: website, Twitter, YouTube
Cinematic Orchestra: website, fansite, Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia, YouTube, Vimeo, Vimeo #2
Costas Fotopoulos: website, Feb 2013 interview, YouTube, YouTube #2
Counterpoise: website, YouTube
Ben Palmer: website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, interviews: April 2018, Sept 2019, June 2020, July 2020, Dec 2024
- Covent Garden Sinfonia (ex-Orchestra of St Paul’s): website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Cyrus Gabrysch: website/#2, Instagram, Twitter, June 2024 interview, YouTube/#2
Daniel Patrick Cohen (composer): website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, June 2012 article, Feb 2019 interview, YouTube
Darius Battiwalla: website
Dmytro Morykit: Wikipedia, website, about.me, medotcom, Facebook, Twitter, SoundCloud, May 2014 interview, YouTube, Amazon
Dodge Brothers: website, Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia, YouTube, Vimeo
Donald MacKenzie: website, Twitter, Vimeo
Ed Hughes (composer): website, website #2, Twitter, Wikipedia, SoundCloud, YouTube, Vimeo, Sussex Research Online
Elizabeth-Jane Baldry: website, website #2, Twitter, Twitter #2, YouTube, Vimeo
Elysian Quartet: website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
Forrester Pyke: Music Teachers, Scotland on Screen, Nov 2013 interview
Geoff Smith: website
Gladstone’s Bag: Facebook, Enterprise Music Scotland
Paul Robinson (composer): website, LinkedIn, YouTube
HarmonieBand: website, Facebook
In the Nursery: website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo
Irene Buckley (composer): website, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud
Jane Gardner: website, Twitter
Jan Kopinski: website, Facebook, YouTube, SoundCloud
Jean Hasse (composer): Bristol University, Vimeo
- Visible Music: website
John Altman (composer): Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia, IMDb, Oct 2009 bio and interview, YouTube
John Lenehan: website, Upbeat Classical
John Sweeney: website (archived), Twitter, YouTube
Jonathan Best: website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo
Jonathan Eyre: website, Facebook, Twitter, GigShout
Josh Johnston: website, Twitter
Larry McGuire: ATOS
- New Palace Theatre Organ Heritage Centre: website, Facebook
- Scottish Theatre Organ Preservation Society: website, Facebook
Laura Rossi: website, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo, interviews: Nov 2008, May 2015, June 2015, Oct 2015, March 2016, Oct 2016, Oct 2019 (@1:18)
Lillian Henley: website, Twitter, Dec 2015 interview, YouTube
- 1927 Productions: website, Twitter , June 2012 article, April 2015 BBC report (iPlayer, UK only), YouTube
Live Film Orchestra: website, Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo
Lucky Dog Picturehouse: website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, YouTube #2
Matthew Bason: website, Facebook, Twitter
Mazaika: website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
Meg Morley: website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, July 2017 interview
Michael Holmes: OrganFax, Last Minute Musicians
Mike Nolan: Twitter
Michael Nyman (composer): website, Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia, IMDb, YouTube
Minima: website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo
Neil Brand: website, Facebook, Twitter, Faber Music, Wikipedia, IMDb, interviews: Feb 13, Aug 13, Nov 2015, Oct 2016, Nov 20, Sept 23; YouTube, Vimeo, Vimeo #2
Orlando Consort: website, Twitter, Wikipedia, YouTube, Vimeo
Peter Urpeth: blog, Twitter, Faclan, YouTube
Robin Harris: website, MusicTeachers, YouTube, Vimeo
Seamas Carey: website, Twitter, Instagram, April 2015 interview, BandCamp, YouTube, Vimeo
Sheffield Rep. Orchestra: website, Facebook, Twitter
Shona Mooney: website, Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia – active?
Simon Dobson (composer): website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube
Simon Fisher Turner (composer): Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Wikipedia, IMDb, YouTube, Vimeo
Sound and Silence: website, Twitter, YouTube
Ménilmontant (1926), one of the most beautiful and haunting of all silent films, scored by Sound and Silence
Stephen Horne: website, Sept 2009 interview, YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud, SoundCloud #2
Steven Gellatly: website, Twitter, YouTube
Steven Severin: website, Facebook, Twitter, BandCamp, Vimeo
3epkano: website, Facebook, Twitter, BandCamp, YouTube, Vimeo
Tony Judge: website, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube
Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain: website, Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia, Ukulelescope silent film show, Ukulelescope trailer
Unsilent Movies: website, Twitter
Wurlitza: website, Facebook, Twitter, Twitter #2, blog (inactive), Feb 2015 article, July 2015 interview, YouTube, YouTube #2, SoundCloud
- Claire Abbott Twitter
The Cinema Pianist: How to Become One
“Although work in the cinema is undoubtedly attractive, it does not suit everybody. If a person has an artistic temperament of high quality, also the ability to teach or otherwise earn money, he had better leave the cinema alone. The continued and forced playing of piece after piece does not give much scope for originality, and often tends to kill interest in music – as real music. It would be better for such a musician to earn his living in real surroundings, where he can develop himself to the fullest extent and no doubt profit by so doing. But for others who are not so highly developed musically or temperamentally, the cinema offers as many opportunities as any branch of the musical profession.” – S. Turnbull, The Musical Mirror, March 1928
But what does he know? Courtesy of Neil Brand’s excellent minisite, The Originals.
- Photoplay Music FAQ and Starter Kit – Rodney Sauer
- Photoplay Music: A Reusable Repertory for Silent Film Scoring, 1914-1929 – Rodney Sauer
- Silent Film Sound & Music Archive | Facebook, Twitter
———-
- A Warming Flame—The Musical Presentation of Silent Films/free PDF – Gillian Anderson, essay p. 13–50, Music for Silent Films 1894–1929: A Guide (1988, reprinted 2011)
- The Sounds of Early Cinema (2001) – ed. Richard Abel and Rick Altman
- Silent Film Sound (2005) – Rick Altman
- After the Silents: Hollywood Film Music in the Early Sound Era, 1926-1934 (2014) – Michael Slowik
- Today’s Sounds for Yesterday’s Films: Making Music for Silent Cinema (2016) – ed. K.J. Donnelly and Ann-Kristin Wallengren
———-
- Restoring Original Orchestrations for Silent Film – Gillian Anderson
- Synchronized Music: The Influence of Pantomime on Moving Pictures – Gillian Anderson
- Sounds of Silents: Scoring Silent-Era Horror Films – Angela Starita and Steve Biodrowski, Cinefantastique (1998)
———-
- Practical Manual of Instrumentation/free PDF (1918) – Gaston Borch
- Musical Accompaniment of Moving Pictures/free PDF (1920) – Edith Lang and George West
- Encyclopedia of Music for Pictures/free PDF/excerpt (1925) – Ernö Rapée
- Motion Picture Moods for Pianists and Organists/alt/free PDF (1924) – Ernö Rapée
———-
- Music and Motion Pictures – Hugo Riesenfeld
- Music in Motion Picture Theaters – Silent Film Bookshelf essays
- Orchestral Accompaniment in the 1920s – Silent Film Bookshelf essays
Entry criteria
Note that this is a practical resource for folk seeking active silent musicians, not simply a list of everyone who’s ever accompanied a silent film. Those who have only scored one or two silents are largely avoided, unless they were particularly significant projects. Dozens of acts with no useful online presence have also been omitted; in most cases that means either they don’t work with silents regularly or aren’t interested in alerting people to the fact! Please supply links to as many of the following as possible:
- At least one contact link and verification of being active (performance listings, recent reviews, etc.) – essential.
- Website, blog, Facebook business page, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, BandCamp, Wikipedia, IMDb, YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud, etc.
- Anything else of relevance: articles, interviews, books, recordings, etc.
- No personal details – email or physical addresses, phone numbers, etc. – but links to other sites featuring them are ok.
Post your suggestions in the comments or contact me here.
Silent Film Musicians Directory, Part 2: The Americas
Excellent piece of work, Brent, and an honour to be included!
Wow You’re a wonderful article, learned a lot of new things, thank you. By the way the site where you can find a piano comedy silent movie music.