FAMED PIANIST FERRANTE DIES
Celebrated pop pianist ART FERRANTE of the piano duo FERRANTE & TEICHER has died at the age of 88.
He passed away on Saturday (19Sep09) at his home in Longboat Key, Florida.
Ferrante became infamous for his part in the duo’s approach to Broadway tunes and film scores, including their hit recording of musical themes from Midnight Cowboy, Exodus and The Apartment. He later went on to work with famed composer Irving Berlin, with whom he orchestrated film scores in Hollywood.
Ferrante graduated esteemed New York performing arts school Juilliard in the 1940s, where he met his future partner and fellow child prodigy, Lou Teicher. He returned to the school in 1946 to teach music history and began play with Teicher at nightclubs around New York. The pair made its debut in 1948 and played together for four decades.
Known for their flashy, Vegas-style look, Ferrante & Teicher scored their first major hit in 1960 with the theme from The Apartment, which sold more than one million copies in the U.S. The group recorded more than 150 albums and performed an estimated 5,200 concerts throughout its career.
Teicher died in 2008 of heart failure, aged 83.
Ferrante is survived by his wife, Jena, a daughter, and two grandchildren.
Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com)
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