Lesley Barber

Lesley Barber
Barber attends theNappily Ever Afterpremiere in Los Angeles, 2018
Background information
Origin	Toronto,Ontario,Canada
Genres	Film score
Occupation(s)	Film composer,orchestrator,arranger,conductor
Instrument(s)	Piano,keyboard
Years active	1995–present
Website	lesleybarber

Lesley Barber(born 1962) is a Canadiancomposerof music for film, theatre, chamber and orchestral ensembles and she is also a conductor, pianist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Barber is best known for composing the film scores forManchester by the Sea,Late Night,You Can Count on Me,Mansfield Park,Irreplaceable You,Hysterical Blindness,When Night Is Falling,and composing music for the animated television seriesLittle Bear.

Early life and education

Born in 1962 inToronto,Ontario,Barber started composing at age 10. She won several young composer awards and graduated with a master's degree in music composition fromThe University of Torontoin 1988, studying withelectro-acoustic musicpioneer, composerGustav Ciamagaand composer Lothar Klein.

Career

After university, Barber spent several years scoring for the alternative theatre scene in Toronto, creating music for over 20 theatre productions. Notable theatre works includeBrad Fraser'sUnidentified Human Remains and The True Nature of LoveGeorge F. Walker'sLove and Anger,Nothing Sacred,Escape from Happiness,and Michel Garneau'sThe Warriors.The latter two productions receivedDora Mavor Moore Awardsfor Outstanding Original Score.

As a classical composer Barber has been commissioned by artists such as pianist Eve Egoyan, the Canadian Electronic Ensemble, Hemispheres Orchestra, and serving as Young Composer in Residence at the Festival of the Sound, and Winnipeg's New Music Festival. Works include Long White Line (for orchestra), Rhythmic Voodoo (percussion and electronica). Music for a Lonely Zamboni (piano trio) and Marshland (string quartet). Barber composed forYo-Yo Mafor the television seriesYo-Yo Ma:Inspired by Bach.

Barber has cited as musical influencesTakemitsu,Corigliano,Haydn,Sofia Gubaidulina,Steve Reich,PJ Harvey,Radiohead,Carter Burwell,Ennio Morricone,andPhilip Glass.

Barber's work on film scores includesKenneth Lonergan'sAcademy Award-nominated feature filmYou Can Count on Me,Jerry Rothwell's award-winning documentary,How to Change the World,Mira Nair'sEmmyandGolden Globeaward-winningHysterical Blindness(starringUma ThurmanandGena Rowlands),Mary Harron'sThe Moth Diaries,Patricia Rozema'sMansfield ParkandWhen Night Is Falling,the award-winning children's classic television animated seriesLittle BearwithMaurice Sendak,Wiebke Von Carolsfeld'sMarion Bridge,the recently released powerhouse docThe Apologyby Tiffany Hsiung and Kenneth Lonergan's award-winningManchester by the Sea.Lesleys other films include a remake of the filmBeaches,Attiya Khan's award-winning documentaryA Better Man,Boarding School, a horror adventure film written directed byBoaz Yakin,theNetflixfeaturesNappily Ever After,directed by Haifaa alMansour,Irreplaceable You,directed by Stephanie Laing, andLate Night,starringEmma ThompsonandMindy Kaling,and directed byNisha Ganatra.Barber has recorded scores inToronto,London,Los Angeles,New York,andBudapestand worked withMiramax,New Line,Focus Features,Nickelodeon,Warner Bros.,andHome Box Officeamongst others.

In 2016, Barber was the first female composer to be featured onThe Hollywood ReporterComposer Roundtable, where she appeared next toHans Zimmer,Justin Hurwitz,Nicholas Britell,John Debney,andHauschka.

Personal life

Barber has two children with her former partner, film directorPatricia Rozema.

Filmography

• Four Weddings and a Funeral (miniseries)(2019)
• Late Night(2019)
• Nappily Ever After(2018)
• Boarding School(2018)
• Irreplaceable You(2018)
• Beaches(2017)
• A Better Man(2017)
• Manchester by the Sea(2016)
• The Apology(2016)
• How to Change the World(2015)
• Pete's Christmas(2015)
• The Moth Diaries(2011)
• A Child's Garden of Poetry(2010)
• Girls on Top(2010)
• Victoria Day(2009)
• Kit Kittredge: An American Girl(2008) (additional music)
• Death in Love(2008)
• A Thousand Years of Good Prayers(2007)
• Comeback Season(2006)
• We Don't Live Here Anymore(2004) (additional music)
• Maurice Sendak'sSeven Little Monsters(2000–2003) TV Series (all episodes)
• The Real Jane Austen(2002) (TV)
• Marion Bridge(2002)
• Hysterical Blindness(2002) (TV)
• The Little Bear Movie(2001)
• You Can Count on Me(2000)
• This Might Be Good(2000)
• Mansfield Park(1999)
• Luminous Motion(1998)
• A Price Above Rubies(1998)
• Los Locos:Posse Rides Again(1997)
• Yo-Yo MaInspired by Bach– Bach Cello Suite #6: Six Gestures(1997) TV series
• Turning April(1996)
• What's His Face(1995)
• When Night Is Falling(1995)
• Little Bear(1995–2003) TV series (all 65 episodes)

Music

• Victoria Day(2009) conductor, orchestrator
• Kit Kittredge: An American Girl(2008) orchestrator
• A Thousand Years of Good Prayers(2007) conductor, orchestrator
• Comeback Season(2006) orchestrator
• Being Julia(2004) song producer
• Maurice Sendak'sSeven Little Monsters(2000–2003) conductor, orchestrator
• Marion Bridge(2002) orchestrator
• Hysterical Blindness(2002) (TV) conductor, orchestrator
• The Little Bear Movie(2001) orchestrator
• You Can Count on Me(2000) orchestrator
• Mansfield Park(1999) orchestrator
• Luminous Motion(1998) (conductor) orchestrator
• A Price Above Rubies(1998) orchestrator
• Turning April(1996) conductor, orchestrator
• When Night Is Falling(1995) conductor, orchestrator

External links

• Official website
• Lesley BarberatIMDb