William Goldstein (born February 25, 1942) is an American composer, recording artist, arts philosopher and improvisational pianist.[1][2][3]

Goldstein has received three Emmy nominations and one Grammy nomination for his scores Fame, Hello Again, and Shocker. He has been signed as a recording artist to Motown Records and CBS Masterworks.[4][5] Goldstein has written arts commentary for public media including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and CBS News.[6][7][8][9]

Biography

Early life and career

Raised in Lakewood Township, New Jersey, Goldstein graduated from Lakewood High School.[10]

While in high school, Goldstein learned to play trumpet to join the high school band. Upon graduating, he continued on a joint program with Trenton State College in New Jersey for music education and the Juilliard School once a week to study trumpet.[11] During the draft years of the Vietnam War, he became composer in residence for the United States Army Band.

Career

Goldstein was signed to Columbia Picture Screen Gems. He was discovered by Berry Gordy, who brought Goldstein to Los Angeles, as a Motown recording artist, composer and producer.[12][13][14] Goldstein has composed film and television soundtracks film and television, notably the television series Fame and The Twilight Zone.[15][16][17]

Instant Composition

Goldstein composes in real time, reviving the art of “instant composition”.He creates ballets with dancers of international renown, improvising complete scores to films that he is seeing for the first time;[18][19] In 2011, Goldstein as invited by the Transatlantyk International Film and Music Festival in Poznan, Poland, to give Master Classes on the "Art of Instant Composition". Goldstein records as a solo composer and collaboratively.

Educator and masterclasses

As an educator and performer of live composition, Goldstein teaches masterclasses and travels internationally.[20]

Discography

Main article: William Goldstein

Studio albums

The Charisma Of Joe Sherman / The Viability Of William Goldstein (1969)

Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack "Bingo Long Traveling All Stars & Motor Kings" (1976)

Oceanscape (1986)

Saving Grace (1986)

Liberty (Original Television Soundtrack) (1986)

Hello Again (Original Soundtrack) (1987)

Switched on Classics (1987)

Switched On Hollywood (1988)

Wes Craven's Shocker (The Score) (1989)

The Quarrel (1992)

A Tribute To Jacques Cousteau (1993)

William Goldstein, Basil Poledouris - Danielle Steel's Zoya (CD, Album) (1995)

Motown...Fame...& Beyond: A Retrospective of Songs By William Goldstein (1995)

At Midnight (1998)

First Impressions: Emotionally Connective Impromptus Of Life (1999)

Forced Vengeance (2008)

Getting Physical (2009)

Remembrance Of Love (2016)

A life in three notes” (2017)

Collaborative Composition: Created in the Moment (2021)

Lots of Luck (2021)

Hero in the family (2022)

Brushstrokes: The Intersection of Art & Music (2022)