Dimitri Tiomkin

 

Lived in: Kremenchug (now in Ukraine), USA, Hampstead (at Hampstead Lane)

 

Profession: Film composer

 

About his life:

 

• Born in Kremenchug within the Russian Empire, he was taught the piano by his mother Maria, a musician.

• Educated at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory - following the Russian Revolution, he moved to Germany due to a lack of opportunities for classical music in the USSR.

• Moved to the USA in 1925, where he initially worked as a concert pianist.

• Later went on to compose film scores, such as for ‘Alice in Wonderland’ in 1933.

• Many of his scores were for Western films, such as ‘Duel in the Sun’(1946), ‘The War Wagon’(1967), and many more.

• Following the death of his wife, he moved to Hampstead, where he spent his final years.

 

Interesting Fact:

• He was the first Russian to become a Hollywood composer.