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Kurt Bestor

Emmy-award-winning Composer/Performer

About Me


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Powered by VerticalResponse Kurt Bestor is an American composer, arranger, and performer. For more than a two decades, Kurt Bestors film scores, television themes, compositions and carols have provided an indelible soundtrack for American life. Indeed, much of Bestors own life has been dedicated to creating musical parallels to visual images. Perhaps best known for his innovative interpretation of seasonal carols on Kurt Bestor Christmas, Volumes One and Two, the Utah-based composer and performer launched his career writing music for television and movies. His credits include more than 30 film scores and more than 40 themes for national TV programs and commercials. It is Bestors music that has introduced Good Morning America, NFL Monday Night Football, and ABCs Sunday Night Movie; he scored TBSs Wild! Life Adventures and the IMAX film Great American West. He also was given the Outstanding Film Score Award at the New York Film and Television Festival for his music for PBSs A More Perfect Union. Bestor was awarded am Emmy for his collaboration with Sam Cardon on the original music for ABCs coverage of the 1988 Winter Olympics.Bestors concerts are major productions, but his warm storytelling and humor create an intimate rapport with his audience. Its a bit like Garrison Keillormeets- John Williams, he laughs. The year 2006 marks Bestors 18th year of sold-out Christmas shows.In spring of 2000, Bestors easy-going manner and rapport with audiences were showcased in the PBS concert filming of his Innovators album, with Sam Cardon. The nationwide special was so successful that a follow-up Innovators II: Keepers of the Flame has been produced for release in conjunction with the 2002 Olympic celebrations.In August of 2001, Bestors composing and conducting talents were highlighted as part of Sea Trek 2001, when the powerful Saints on the Seas Oratorio was performed in major European cities against the backdrop of some of the worlds most beautiful concert halls. In February 2002, Bestor conducted his "The Flags of the Nation Processional," a composition co-written with fellow composer Sam Cardon, and specially commissioned as part of Olympic Closing Ceremonies. In early 2003, Bestor entered the studio to begin work on his next album, which follows his previous 19 CDs, including The Dance, Sketches, Seasons, Evening Angels, Kurt Bestor Christmas Vol. I & II, Noel and One Silent Night. He is also conducting an exciting new stage show, A Night At The Movies, in partnership with the Utah Symphony orchestra. The show debuted in May 2003 at Abravanel Hall and was recently performed with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. MySpace Layouts by Iron Spider
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My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 7/16/2006
Band Website: kurtbestor.com
Influences: Dave Grusin, Bruce Hornsby, David Benoit, Aaron Copland, John Williams, Ennio Morricone, Benjamin Britten
Sounds Like: Dave Grusin, Bruce Hornsby, David Lanz
Type of Label: None

My Blog

"Sage of Lamberene" - from Innovators DVD

The following is from a TV special recorded a while back. A song from the popular PBS special "Innovators," Sage of Lamberene captures the pulse of Africa where Albert Schweitzer lived, the spirituali...
Posted by Kurt Bestor on Sun, 23 Mar 2008 01:14:00 PST

WORLD PREMIER of "Anthem for a New Year"

On January 4th, a composition of mine was premiered by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Orchestra at Temple Square, The International Children’s Choir, The Cathedral of the Madeline Choir School...
Posted by Kurt Bestor on Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:52:00 PST

Wear Me, Carry Me around, or have a Cup of Me in the Morning!

buy unique gifts at Zazzle...
Posted by Kurt Bestor on Wed, 05 Mar 2008 07:30:00 PST

3000 Musicians and One Lucky Composer

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Posted by Kurt Bestor on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 02:04:00 PST

My Acting Debut!

I know DeNiro is quaking in his boots after my acting debut in this commercial for the Foundation for a Better Life. But hey - it was quite a stretch being cast as a.....pianist! ...
Posted by Kurt Bestor on Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:26:00 PST

musiQuest: Maasai Mara

I'm beginning a new music/travel series called "musiQuest" which combines my love of traveling with my music passion. Here is an episode which contains some travel vignettes from a recent trip to Keny...
Posted by Kurt Bestor on Mon, 28 Jan 2008 06:10:00 PST

Jambo from Kenya!

A picture says a thousand words, so here is a FEW thousand words from my current trip to Kenya. Just a few pictures from yesterday's safari:http://gallery.mac.com/kurtbestor100083
Posted by Kurt Bestor on Fri, 28 Dec 2007 12:35:00 PST

Ho Ho Ho!

If you're saavy enough to be logged on to this site, then I'd like to reward you with a little "insider information:" TICKETS for A Kurt Bestor Christmas go on sale to the public on September 7th! How...
Posted by Kurt Bestor on Tue, 28 Aug 2007 06:34:00 PST

Betcha never heard this piece......

....even though I wrote more than a billion people DID in China. Enjoy a more classical side of me. ...
Posted by Kurt Bestor on Sat, 28 Jul 2007 11:12:00 PST

Dobro Dosli u Dubrovnik!

Yesterday, I had the singular and honored opportunity to be a performer as part of the "iCommons 2007" Conference in Dubrovnik, Croatia. While streaming my concert from my basement studio in Salt Lake...
Posted by Kurt Bestor on Sun, 17 Jun 2007 11:07:00 PST