Mark Watters
Featuring: Mark Watters, Don Williams, and David Raiklen
Six-time Emmy-winning composer Mark Watters joins the ASA to talk about working with John Williams on the live score adaptation of Star Wars, and talks about other highlights of his composing, conducting, and orchestrating careers.
ABOUT MARK WATTERS
Mark Watters is a six time Emmy Award winning composer and conductor whose diverse composing credits include Pixar’s Time Travel Mater, Disney’s Doug’s First Movie, Kronk’s New Groove, Mickey’s Twice Upon A Christmas, The Return Of Jafar and Aladdin and the King of Thieves. Other credits include The Pebble And The Penguin and All Dogs Go To Heaven 2 for MGM and such television series as The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Tiny Toon Adventures, Goof Troop, The New Pink Panther, All Dogs Go To Heaven, 107 Dalmatians, Winnie the Pooh and NBC’s A Very Merry Muppet Christmas.
He holds the distinct honor of having served as music director and featured composer for two Olympics. First, in 1996 for the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta and again in 2002 for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. For the ’96 games, Mark composed the Emmy nominated song, “Faster, Higher, Stronger.” Performed by opera legend Jessye Norman and featuring lyrics by Grammy-nominated lyricist, Lorraine Feather, the song was the triumphant finale to the Opening Ceremonies. He has served as guest conductor for such orchestras as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the London Symphony, The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony, the New York City Pops, the Baltimore Symphony and the Atlanta Symphony.
His most recent credits include his original score for Disney’s Oscar-nominated animated theatrical short, Get A Horse! which appeared in theaters with the blockbuster, Frozen. He is also featured in the soon-to-be-released award-winning documentary, The Tunes Behind the Toons. Produced for Disney Animation Studios by David Bossert, the film focuses on the unique history, styles and techniques of music for animation.
Mark is also an accomplished saxophonist and has performed under such conductors as Leonard Bernstein, Zubin Mehta, Simon Rattle, Esa Pekka Salonen, Michael Tilson Thomas, Erich Leinsdorf and Pierre Boulez.