‘Hitchcock’s Composer: Bernard Herrmann and The Sound of Suspense’ Webinar

The screeching violins of Psycho’s shower murder. The seductive musical whirlpool and dizzying dissonance of Vertigo. The haunting solo sax that defines Travis Bickle’s Taxi Driver. These iconic sounds could only come from the dark genius of one Hollywood composer, whose explosive personality was matched by intense sensitivity, a compassion for outsiders, and a matchless gift for “getting inside the drama.”

Join New York Adventure Club as we follow the tumultuous career journey of Bernard Herrmann, one of the great Golden Age of Film composers who wrote scores for some of the most suspenseful movies of all time.

Led by Steven C. Smith, author of the Herrmann biography “A Heart at Fire’s Center: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann,” our virtual experience will include:

  • Rare video and audio clips of Herrmann himself discussing his various collaborations
  • The inside story of Herrmann’s time working on the greatest films of the day including Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane and Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest and The Birds
  • Insight into how Hermann’s combative personality damaged his career — but also fueled his creativity
  • Herrmann’s role in mentoring composers like John Williams, and how his music influences the sound of movies today

Afterward, we’ll have a Q&A with Steven — any and all questions about Bernard Herrmann are welcomed and encouraged!

Can’t make it live? Don’t worry, you’ll have access to the full replay for one week!

See you there, virtually! $10.

*Immediately upon registering, you will receive a separate, automated email containing the link to join this webinar

**For the best possible viewing experience, please ensure you’re using the latest version of your internet browser — Google Chrome is the most compatible. Exact technical requirements and a webinar user guide will be shared in the automated confirmation email upon registration.

***A full replay of the experience will be available to all registered guests for up to a week

About Steven

Steven C. Smith is a four-time Emmy-nominated producer, and the author of A Heart at Fire’s Center: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann. That book received the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award, and was the main research source for the Oscar-nominated documentary Music for the Movies: Bernard Herrmann.

Steven’s latest book is Music by Max Steiner: The Epic Life of Hollywood’s Most Influential Composer. He has written about movies and music for the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly and Hollywood Reporter. He was a supervising producer and writer on the long-running TV documentary series Biography (A&E) and Backstory (AMC). His other documentaries include The Sound of a City: Julie Andrews Returns to Salzburg and Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood.











When: Thu., Feb. 25, 2021 at 9:30 pm - 11:00 pm
Where: No Location
Via livestream

Price: $10
Buy tickets/get more info now
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The screeching violins of Psycho’s shower murder. The seductive musical whirlpool and dizzying dissonance of Vertigo. The haunting solo sax that defines Travis Bickle’s Taxi Driver. These iconic sounds could only come from the dark genius of one Hollywood composer, whose explosive personality was matched by intense sensitivity, a compassion for outsiders, and a matchless gift for “getting inside the drama.”

Join New York Adventure Club as we follow the tumultuous career journey of Bernard Herrmann, one of the great Golden Age of Film composers who wrote scores for some of the most suspenseful movies of all time.

Led by Steven C. Smith, author of the Herrmann biography “A Heart at Fire’s Center: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann,” our virtual experience will include:

  • Rare video and audio clips of Herrmann himself discussing his various collaborations
  • The inside story of Herrmann’s time working on the greatest films of the day including Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane and Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest and The Birds
  • Insight into how Hermann’s combative personality damaged his career — but also fueled his creativity
  • Herrmann’s role in mentoring composers like John Williams, and how his music influences the sound of movies today

Afterward, we’ll have a Q&A with Steven — any and all questions about Bernard Herrmann are welcomed and encouraged!

Can’t make it live? Don’t worry, you’ll have access to the full replay for one week!

See you there, virtually! $10.

*Immediately upon registering, you will receive a separate, automated email containing the link to join this webinar

**For the best possible viewing experience, please ensure you’re using the latest version of your internet browser — Google Chrome is the most compatible. Exact technical requirements and a webinar user guide will be shared in the automated confirmation email upon registration.

***A full replay of the experience will be available to all registered guests for up to a week

About Steven

Steven C. Smith is a four-time Emmy-nominated producer, and the author of A Heart at Fire’s Center: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann. That book received the ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award, and was the main research source for the Oscar-nominated documentary Music for the Movies: Bernard Herrmann.

Steven’s latest book is Music by Max Steiner: The Epic Life of Hollywood’s Most Influential Composer. He has written about movies and music for the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly and Hollywood Reporter. He was a supervising producer and writer on the long-running TV documentary series Biography (A&E) and Backstory (AMC). His other documentaries include The Sound of a City: Julie Andrews Returns to Salzburg and Thou Shalt Not: Sex, Sin and Censorship in Pre-Code Hollywood.

Buy tickets/get more info now