Max Steiner

Max Steiner was an Austrian born American composer, specialising in film music. At a very young age he showed a real gift for composition and studied with the German composer Johannes Brahms among others. On the strength of this teaching, he composed his first works at an early stage. Born in Vienna in 1888, he moved to New York in 1914 where he worked as a conductor and composer. In 1929, Hollywood opened its doors to him. He composed the soundtrack of the film "Rio Rita", which was the first of a long list. Four years later, the soundtrack of "King Kong" was a huge success. It marked the beginning of a flourishing career. Among his most famous compositions are the soundtrack of "Gone With the Wind" in 1939 and "Casablanca" in 1942. Max Steiner is considered one of the great pioneers of film music.