Bill Conti: Composer of Triumph
Academy Award-winning American composer and conductor best known for his iconic film scores, particularly the theme from Rocky.
Born in Rhode Island, Conti studied at Juilliard. His career breakthrough came with the score for Rocky (1976), earning him an Oscar nomination. He won the Oscar for Best Original Score for The Right Stuff (1983). Conti served as the musical director and conductor for the Academy Awards telecast for many years.
- Conti's parents were Italian immigrants; his father was a classical musician who instilled a love of music.
- The instantly recognizable "Gonna Fly Now" (Rocky theme) became a global pop culture phenomenon, reaching #1 on the Billboard charts.
- He conducted the orchestra at the Academy Awards ceremony for a record 18 times between 1980 and 2017.
- Conti made cameo appearances in the Rocky films as the orchestra conductor.
- Despite his fame for Rocky, his Oscar win was for the score of The Right Stuff, beating out fellow nominees including Michael Jackson.