Gerard Carbonara

Who was Gerard Carbonara?

Gerard Carbonara was an American composer, conductor, opera coach and concert violinist.

He received his formal music education at the National Conservatory of Music in New York on a scholarship. In 1908 he travelled abroad to Naples, Italy, where he continued his studies at the Naples Conservatory with composer Martucci Dworczak. He was employed as an opera coach in Milan in 1910. Later, he toured Europe as a concert violinist and conducted operas throughout Europe and, later, the United States of America.

Carbonara began his film music career at the end of the silent film era. In the 1930s and 1940s he scored numerous films at Paramount Pictures, including American Empire, Shepherd of the Hills, as well as a series of Mutt and Jeff cartoons. Carbonara composed several cues for Stagecoach, but did not receive screen credit because of a clause in his contract. Although the score, which featured the music of several composers, won an Oscar, Carbonara was not counted among the winners. However, he was nominated for The Kansan in 1943. In the 1940s, especially after World War II, he composed and arranged music for short films. Carbonara often worked closely with his colleague John Leipold.