British composer Rachel Portman was the first female composer to win an Academy Award, which she received for her score to Emma. She has received two further Academy nominations for The Cider House Rules and Chocolat, which also earned her a Golden Globe nomination, and an EMMY Award in 2015 for her score to HBO’s Bessie.
Rachel began composing at the age of 14 and read music at Oxford University. Whilst there, she became interested in writing music for student films and theatre productions. She gained experience writing music for drama in BBC and Channel 4 films such as Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, Mike Leigh’s Four Days In July and Jim Henson’s Storyteller series, however the majority of her work has been in film.
She has been fortunate to work with directors Roman Polanski (Oliver Twist), Norman Jewison (Only You), Jonathan Demme (Beloved, Truth About Charlie, Manchurian Candidate), Robert Redford (Legend of Bagger Vance), Mike Leigh (Life is Sweet), as well as countless others. Her list of film scores includes Never Let Me Go, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Grey Gardens (HBO), The Duchess, Infamous, Lake House, Hart’s War, Human Stain, Marvin’s Room, Benny and Joon, Joy Luck Club, Smoke, Nicholas Nickleby, Where Angels Fear to Tread, Race, Their Finest and DreamWork’s A Dog’s Pupose. Her most recent scores include The Return, Julia and Godmothered for Disney+.
In addition to her film, TV and theatre scores, she has written a musical of Little House on the Prairie, an opera of Saint Exupery’s The Little Prince for Houston Grand Opera, and The Water Diviner, a dramatic choral symphony commissioned for the BBC Proms concerts.
Rachel was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours.
Rachel is co-repped in the US by Fortress Talent Management.
AWARDS
Academy Award for Best Original Musical Comedy Score 1996 (EMMA)
Academy Award Nomination for Best Original Score 1999 (THE CIDER HOUSE RULES)
Academy Award Nomination for Best Original Score 2000 (CHOCOLAT)
Golden Globe Nomination for Best Original Score 2000 (CHOCOLAT)
Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition 2015 (BESSIE)
Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Music Composition 2009 (GREY GARDENS)
Grammy Nomination for Best Score Soundtrack Album 2001 (CHOCOLAT)
Grammy Nomination for Best Score Soundtrack Album 2000 (THE CIDER HOUSE RULES)
Bafta Award Nomination for Best Score 1991 (ORANGES ARE NOT THE ONLY FRUIT)
Bafta Award Nomination for Best Score 1990 (THE WOMAN IN BLACK)
Muse Award From the New York Women in Film and Television 2000
BMI Richard Kirk Award 2010
Flanders International Film Festival Award 1999 (RATCATCHER)
International Prize for Film and Media Music 1997
Carlton TV/Rank Films Laboratories Award for Creative Originality 1996
Tric Celebrity Awards Schneider Trophy for Theme Music of the Year 1989 (PRECIOUS BANE)
British Film Institute Young Composer of the Year 1988
Credits
| THE RETURN | Heretic Director: Uberto Pasolini | |
| JULIA | Storyville Films/ CNN Films Directors: Julie Cohen, Betsy West | |
| GODMOTHERED | Secret Machine Entertainment/ Disney+ Director: Sharon Maguire | |
| A DOG’S PURPOSE | Amblin Entertainment / DreamWorks Director: Lasse Hallström | |
| THEIR FINEST | BBC Films Director: Lorne Scherfig | |
| RACE | Focus Features Director: Stephen Hopkins | |
| BESSIE | HBO Director: Dee Rees | **Winner of 2015 EMMY Award** |
| DESPITE THE FALLING SNOW | Enlightenment Productions Director: Shamim Sarif | |
| DOLPHIN TALE 2 | ALCON Director: Charles Martin Smith | |
| BELLE | Fox Searchlight Director: Amma Asante | |
| THE RIGHT KIND OF WRONG | Serendipity Point Films Director: Jeremiah S Chechik | |
| GIRL RISING | The Documentary Group Director: Richard Robbin | |
| PARADISE | Mandate Pictures Director: Diablo Cody | |
| PRIVATE PEACEFUL | Fluidity Films Director: Pat O’Connor | |
| ONE DAY | Focus Features Director: Lone Scherfig | |
| THE VOW | Sony Pictures Director: Michael Sucsy | |
| SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN | Fox Director: Wayne Wang | |
| NEVER LET ME GO | Fox Director: Mark Romanek | |
| THE DUCHESS | Pathe Director: Saul Dibb | |
| SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELLING PANTS II | Warner Bros Director: Sanaa Hamri | |
| THE LAKE HOUSE | Warner Bros Pictures Director: Alejandro Agresti | |
| INFAMOUS | Warner Independent Pictures Director: Douglas McGrath | |
| OLIVER TWIST | Run Team II Ltd Director: Roman Polanski | |
| MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE | Paramount Director: Jonathan Demme | |
| BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE | Fox Director: Wayne Wang | |
| MONA LISA SMILE | Revolution Studios Director: Mike Newell | |
| HUMAN STAIN | Miramax Director: Robert Benton | |
| NICHOLAS NICKLEBY | United Artists Film Corporation Director: Douglas McGrath | |
| THE TRUTH ABOUT CHARLIE | Universal Director: Jonathan Demme Producer: Peter Saraf | |
| HART’S WAR | MGM Director: Greg Hoblit Producer: David Ladd | |
| THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES | Film Four Director: Alan Taylor Producer: Uberto Pasolini | |
| CHOCOLAT | Miramax Director: Lasse Hallstrom Producer: Leslie Holleran | **Academy Award Nominated 2000** |
| THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE | DreamWorks Director: Robert Redford | |
| THE CLOSER YOU GET | Fox Searchlight Pictures Director: Aileen Ritchie Producer: Uberto Pasolini | |
| THE CIDER HOUSE RULES | Miramax Director: Lasse Hallstrom Producer: Richard Gladstein | **Academy Award Nominated 1999** |
| THE RATCATCHER | Pathe Films Director: Lynne Ramsay Producer: Gavin Emerson | |
| THE OTHER SISTER | Disney Director: Gary Marshall | |
| BELOVED | Disney Director: Jonathan Demme Producer: Gary Goetzman | |
| HOME FRIES | Warner Bros Director: Dean Parisot Producer: Mark Johnson | |
| ADDICTED TO LOVE | Warner Bros Director: Griffin Dunne Producer: Jeff Silver, Bob Newmyer | |
| BEAUTY AND THE BEAST II | Disney Director: Andrew Knight Producer: Bambi Moe | |
| MARVIN’S ROOM | Miramax Director: Jerry Zaks Producer: Scott Ruden | |
| EMMA | Miramax Director: Doug McGrath Producer: Patrick Cassavetti | **Academy Award: Best Musical or Comedy Score 1996** |
| PINOCCHIO | Savoy Pictures/New Line Cinema Director: Steve Barron Producer: Peter Locke | |
| PALOOKAVILLE | Samuel Goldwyn Company Director: Alan Taylor Producer: Uberto Pasolini | |
| TO WONG FOO, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING | Universal Director: Beeban Kidron Producer: G. Mac Brown | |
| PYROMANIAC’S LOVE STORY | Hollywood Pictures Director: Joshua Brand Producer: Mark Gordon | |
| SMOKE | Miramax Director: Wayne Wang Producers: Greg Johnson, Peter Newman | |
| ONLY YOU | Columbia Pictures Director: Norman Jewison Producer: Norman Jewison | |
| THE ROAD TO WELVILLE | Columbia Pictures Director: Alan Parker Producer: Bob Colesberry | |
| THE WAR OF THE BUTTONS | Enigma/Warner Bros Director: John Roberts Producer: David Puttnam | |
| SIRENS | Miramax Director: John Duigan Producer: Sarah Radclyffe | |
| THE JOY LUCK CLUB | Hollywood Pictures Director: Wayne Wang Producers: Patrick Markey, Oliver Stone | |
| FRIENDS | Channel 4 Films Director: Elaine Proctor Producer: Judy Hunt | |
| ETHAN FROME | American Playhouse Director: John Madden Producer: Stan Wlodowski | |
| USED PEOPLE | Largo/Twentieth Century Director: Beeban Kidron Producer: Peggy Rajski | |
| BENNY AND JOON | MGM Director: Jeremiah Chechik Producers: Donna Roth, Susan Arnold | |
| LONDON FILM FESTIVAL TRAILER | Director: Mike Leigh | |
| REBECCA’S DAUGHTERS | Director: Karl Francis Producer: Chris Sievernich | |
| WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD | Stagescreen Director: Charles Sturridge Producer: Derek Granger | |
| LIFE IS SWEET | Thin Man Films Director: Mike Leigh Producer: Simon Channing-Williams |
| WE WERE THE LUCKY ONES (Co-scored with Jon Ehrlich) | Hulu Directors: Amit Gupta, Nessa Hardiman, Thomas Kail |
| HIS WAY: JERRY WEINTRAUB DOCUMENTARY | Director: Doug McGrath |
| GREY GARDENS | HBO Director: Michael Sucsy |
| GREAT MOMENTS IN AVIATION | BBC Director: Beeban Kidron Producer: Philippa Giles |
| ELIZABETH R | BBC Director: Edward Mirzoeff Producer: Edward Mirzoeff |
| FLEA BITES | BBC Director: Alan Dossor Producer: Peter Kondal |
| THE CLONING OF JOANNA MAY | Granada TV Director: Philip Saville Producer: Gub Neal |
| TWICE THROUGH THE HEART | BBC Director: Philippa Lowthorpe |
| THINK OF ENGLAND | BBC Producer: Sam Organ |
| MR WAKEFIELD’S CRUSADE | BBC Wales Director: Angela Pope Producer: Ruth Caleb |
| SHOOT TO KILL | Zenith / YTV Director: Peter Kosminsky Producer: Nigel Stafford Clark |
| THE WIDOWMAKER | Central Films Director: John Madden Producer: Diedre Kier |
| ANTONIA AND JANE | BBC Director: Beeban Kidron Producer: George Faber |
| STORYTELLER x 4: THE GREEK MYTHS | Henson Organisation Directors: John Madden, Paul Weiland, Tony Smith, David Garfath |
Download
Links
Trailer released for ‘The Return’ scored by Rachel Portman
The trailer has just been released for Uberto Pasolini’s ‘The Return’, which features an original score by Rachel Portman. The film stars Ralph Fiennes, Juliette
‘We Were the Lucky Ones’ featuring music by Rachel Portman now streaming on Disney+
‘We Were the Lucky Ones’ featuring a score co-composed by Rachel Portman and Jon Ehrlich is now streaming on Disney+. ‘Based on Georgia Hunter’s New
Rachel Portman’s ‘We Were the Lucky Ones’ theme released
Rachel Portman’s ‘We Were the Lucky Ones’ theme has just been released digitally. Rachel composed the score for the Hulu series alongside Jon Ehrlich. ‘We
Massive congratulations to Rachel Portman on her Documentary Emmy Award win for ‘Julia’
A massive congratulations to Rachel Portman on winning ‘Outstanding Music Composition’ at the Documentary Emmy Awards for her score to ‘Julia’.
Film Fest Gent’s 2X25 project features works by Anne Dudley, Daniel Pemberton and Rachel Portman
For Film Festival Gent’s 2X25 project for their 50-year anniversary, Anne Dudley, Daniel Pemberton and Rachel Portman all composed a short piece of music which
Congratulations to Rachel Portman on her Documentary Emmy Award ‘Outstanding Music Composition’ nomination for ‘Julia’
Massive congratulations to Rachel Portman on her Documentary Emmy Award ‘Outstanding Music Composition’ nomination for her score to the CNN Films Julia Child documentary ‘Julia’.
Rachel Portman’s new album ‘Beyond the Screen – Film Works on Piano’ released
Sony Classical have just released Rachel Portman’s new album ‘Beyond the Screen – Film Works on Piano’. ‘Beyond the Screen: Film Works On Piano’ is
Congratulations to all COOL composers longlisted for the WSA Public Choice Award
Congratulations to all COOL composers who have scores longlisted for the World Soundtrack Awards Public Choice Award – Daniel Pemberton, Anne Dudley, Lorne Balfe, Maurizio
Massive congratulations to Maurizio Malagnini, Rachel Portman and Steven Price on their IFMCA Award nominations
Massive congratulations to Maurizio Malagnini, Rachel Portman and Steven Price who have all received IFMCA Award nominations. Maurizio has received three nominations for his score
Rachel Portman receives SCL Awards nomination for ‘Julia’
Congratulations to Rachel Portman who has been nominated for an SCL Award in the Outstanding Original Score for an Independent Film category for her score
Rachel Portman’s music from the Boots Christmas Advert ‘Bags of Joy’ released as charity single
Rachel Portman’s music for the Boots Christmas advert ‘Bags of Joy’ directed by Tom Hooper and starring Jenna Coleman has just been released on Dubois
‘JULIA’ scored by Rachel Portman – soundtrack album released
Rachel Portman’s soundtrack to the documentary film ‘JULIA’ has just been released by Lakeshore Records. Stream/ download Rachel’s soundtrack here. From Award-winning filmmakers Julie Cohen