Marvin Hamlisch

About Marvin Hamlisch

Marvin Frederick Hamlisch (born June 2, 1944) is a multi award-winning American composer. He is one of only two people in history (the other being Richard Rodgers) to have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, a Tony, and a Pulitzer Prize.

Hamlisch was born in New York City, the son of Viennese Jewish parents Lily (née Schachter) and Max Hamlisch. His was a musical family with his father being an accordionist and bandleader. Marvin Hamlisch was a child prodigy and by age five he began mimicking music he heard on the radio on the piano. A few months before he turned seven, in 1951, he became the youngest person ever accepted to the Juilliard School. However anxiety issues kept him from pursuing a career as a concert pianist leading him to instead focus on composition, specifically for film and theater. His first job in "the business" was as a rehearsal pianist for Funny Girl with Barbra Streisand. Shortly after that he was hired by producer Sam Spiegel to play piano at Spiegel's parties. This connection led to his first film score, The Swimmer.

Hamlisch later attended night classes at Queens College. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1968. In 2007, he received the prestigious Q Award, presented to Queens College alumni who have served as role models for the college.