Hamlisch, Marvin

Hamlisch, (Frederick) Marvin

(1944–  ) composer; born in New York City. A prodigy, he was admitted to the Juilliard School of Music at age seven. In 1974 he won Oscars for the title song and score from The Way We Were (1973) and for his adaptation of Scott Joplin's ragtime music in the The Sting (1973). He composed the music for A Chorus Line (1975), the longest running musical in Broadway history. He also performed and conducted with major symphony orchestras.

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.