Lennie Niehaus

Lennie Niehaus

Lennie Niehaus is an award-winning composer, arranger, and performer whose career has included a kaleidoscope of musical experiences. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Mr. Niehaus received his Bachelor of Arts Degree Cum Laude and teaching credential from California State University, Los Angeles. Soon after, in 1952, he joined the Stan Kenton Orchestra with the exception of two years of service in the U.S. Army. He performed and recorded with Kenton until 1960, winning the Downbeat Magazine "New Star - Alto Sax" Award in 1955. During this time, he also wrote for and recorded his own albums, and contributed compositions and arrangements to the Kenton library. After leaving Kenton's orchestra, Mr. Niehaus became increasingly active as a commercial arranger and composer. His film scoring credits include: Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird; Tightrope; Pale Rider; City Heat; Heartbreak Ridge; White Hunter, Black Heart; and Bird, for which he received a Cannes Film Festival Technical Achievement Award and British Academy Award nomination for Best Score. His latest film scores were for the Clint Eastwood pictures A Perfect World, The Bridges of Madison County starring Meryl Streep, the Academy Award winning picture Unforgiven, Absolute Power, and most recently, Clint Eastwood's latest film, True Crime, due out in March or April - 1999. Mr. Niehaus continues to compose for film and television and remains active on the music education scene as a clinician, performer, and adjudicator. He has numerous published works for concert band, orchestra, and jazz ensemble to his credit, as well as several texts on saxophone pedagogy.

Some compositions by Lennie Niehaus

Band Music

Windsor Excursion
Latin Holiday
Westlake Village
Happy-Go-Lucky
Lake Tahoe Cameo
Thousand Oaks Panorama
Castlecreek Overture
Windom Ridge Rhapsody
Rosewood Overture

Full Orchestra

Carmel by the Sea
Crestline Summit
Hillside Portrait
Skyridge Court

String Orchestra

Midburry Hilltop
Montecito
In a Stately Manor
Stately Piece for Strings
Menuetto (Mozart)
Channel Island
Dana Point Excursion
Overture Contempo
Sunset Hills
String Essay
String Thing
Sunset Hills