Biography
Elliot Lawrence, born Elliot Lawrence Broza, was an American composer, conductor, pianist and bandleader. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Music degree in 1944 and led his own big band from the mid-1940s into the 1950s, recording for labels including Columbia and Decca.
From the 1960s he worked extensively in theatre, television and film. He won a Tony Award for musical direction of the Broadway musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1962) and served as music director and conductor for the annual Tony Awards broadcasts for many years. His film credits include the score for Network (1976) and the opening sequence of The French Connection (1971). He also composed music for series such as The Berenstain Bears (1985) and received multiple Emmy Awards for his television work.
