Frank McNamara (musician)
Encyclopedia
Frank McNamara is an internationally known arranger, conductor, composer, and pianist from Ireland
.
, where he graduated with music honors. He received the most outstanding pupil award at the Royal Irish Academy of Music
, where he studied composition with James Wilson (composer)
and piano with Rhonda Marshall. Peter Katin
also instructed Frank in piano in London
and Canada
.
Irish audiences are well familiar with his work as Music Director
of RTE
’s The Late Late Show
for 20 years. He was the arranger and producer of two consecutive winners at the Eurovision Song Contest
. He has composed TV themes and other music for Irish television. He has written numerous works for orchestra and has released several albums, which include his orchestral arrangements and original compositions. Those albums have resulted in two platinum albums and two gold albums.
Frank also has an acting credit to his name. He was Reuben the pianist in Ronan O'Leary's Hello Stranger (story by Truman Capote
) filmed in 1992. The movie starred Daniel J. Travanti
. Frank wrote the title song Hello Stranger and performed the song in the movie.
In 1998, he helped found The Irish Tenors, which group has been highly successful. He was their Music Director
in five of their albums and three PBS specials and toured with them throughout the United States
, New Zealand
and Australia
. Their album Ellis Island rose to No. 1 on Billboard
s World Music listing.
Frank is the composer of a four-part movement classical work entitled Beatlesymphony, which is based on Beatles melodies and has been performed internationally. He has written an ABBA
piano concerto, a Rolling Stones overture and a Simon and Garfunkel
suite.
He is the producer/musical director of The Young Messiah
- Messiah XXI which is an adaptation of Handel
’s Messiah
. The CD and DVD of this work was released on October 3, 2006. The production starred Gladys Knight
, Roger Daltrey
, Chaka Khan
, Jeffrey Osborne
, the Irish Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir and the Visual Ministry Gospel Choir. On October 18, 2002, Frank staged and produced a performance of this music in Warsaw
, Poland
as part of a Gala Event for the President of Poland and dignitaries.
His work with John McDermott entitled A Time to Remember was released as a PBS special and on CD and DVD and that album was No. 1 on Billboard
s World Music list.
In 2002, Frank created the group The American Tenors. Their PBS special was filmed in Los Angeles
, California
at the Kodak Theatre
. Within the first few weeks of its release, The American Tenors album was No. 5 on Billboard
s Crossover Classical Chart. They also released a slightly different version of their album in Ireland
.
Frank McNamara has made albums with The Irish Tenors, The American Tenors, Ronan Tynan
, John McDermott, David Agnew, Rebecca Storm
and Mary Lowe, among many others. He was the Music Director
and toured with LeAnn Rimes
during her 2004 Symphonic Christmas tour. In 2005, he was the Music Director
of the Argent Mortgage Orchestrated concert series, which included shows with LeAnn Rimes
, Seal (musician)
, Jewel (singer)
and Duran Duran
. He has conducted some of the world's leading orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
and the Boston Pops Orchestra
and conducted the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
for Ben Folds
' three-concert orchestral debut in the United States
.
In March 2007, Frank McNamara decided to run for Dáil Éireann in that year's general election, as a member of the centre right Progressive Democrats
in the Dublin South Central constituency despite not being a resident in the constituency. He failed to be elected, polling 1% of the vote.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Biography
His career began at the age of 11, when he first appeared on Irish national television. Frank attended Trinity College, DublinTrinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
, where he graduated with music honors. He received the most outstanding pupil award at the Royal Irish Academy of Music
Royal Irish Academy of Music
The Royal Irish Academy of Music is a linked college of Dublin City University located in Dublin, Ireland.It was founded in 1848 by a group of music enthusiasts and moved to its present address in Westland Row in 1871. The following year it was granted the right to use the title "Royal"...
, where he studied composition with James Wilson (composer)
James Wilson (composer)
James Wilson was a notable Irish composer. Though born in England, Wilson was a resident of Ireland for over 50 years.-Early life:...
and piano with Rhonda Marshall. Peter Katin
Peter Katin
Peter Roy Katin is a British pianist.-Biography:He attended Whitgift School in South Croydon and was admitted to the Royal Academy of Music at the age of 12, four years younger than the official entry age, where he studied under Harold Craxton...
also instructed Frank in piano in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Irish audiences are well familiar with his work as Music Director
Music director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
of RTE
RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
’s The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
for 20 years. He was the arranger and producer of two consecutive winners at the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
. He has composed TV themes and other music for Irish television. He has written numerous works for orchestra and has released several albums, which include his orchestral arrangements and original compositions. Those albums have resulted in two platinum albums and two gold albums.
Frank also has an acting credit to his name. He was Reuben the pianist in Ronan O'Leary's Hello Stranger (story by Truman Capote
Truman Capote
Truman Streckfus Persons , known as Truman Capote , was an American author, many of whose short stories, novels, plays, and nonfiction are recognized literary classics, including the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's and the true crime novel In Cold Blood , which he labeled a "nonfiction novel." At...
) filmed in 1992. The movie starred Daniel J. Travanti
Daniel J. Travanti
Danielo Giovanni "Daniel J." Travanti is an American actor best known for his starring role as Captain Frank Furillo in the 1980s television drama Hill Street Blues.-Biography:...
. Frank wrote the title song Hello Stranger and performed the song in the movie.
In 1998, he helped found The Irish Tenors, which group has been highly successful. He was their Music Director
Music director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
in five of their albums and three PBS specials and toured with them throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Their album Ellis Island rose to No. 1 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s World Music listing.
Frank is the composer of a four-part movement classical work entitled Beatlesymphony, which is based on Beatles melodies and has been performed internationally. He has written an ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
piano concerto, a Rolling Stones overture and a Simon and Garfunkel
Simon and Garfunkel
Simon & Garfunkel are an American duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. They formed the group Tom & Jerry in 1957 and had their first success with the minor hit "Hey, Schoolgirl". As Simon & Garfunkel, the duo rose to fame in 1965, largely on the strength of the...
suite.
He is the producer/musical director of The Young Messiah
The Young Messiah
The Young Messiah, originally titled Messiah XXI For a New Millennium, is a musical production of a modern adaptation of George Frideric Handel's oratorio Messiah, which was filmed in Ireland for the New Millennium. It was produced and arranged by Frank McNamara, who also conducted the orchestra...
- Messiah XXI which is an adaptation of Handel
HANDEL
HANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
’s Messiah
Messiah (Handel)
Messiah is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742, and received its London premiere nearly a year later...
. The CD and DVD of this work was released on October 3, 2006. The production starred Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight
Gladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
, Roger Daltrey
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
, Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
, Jeffrey Osborne
Jeffrey Osborne
Jeffrey Linton Osborne is an American funk and R&B musician, songwriter, lyricist, and former lead singer of the band, L.T.D.-Early life and career:...
, the Irish Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir and the Visual Ministry Gospel Choir. On October 18, 2002, Frank staged and produced a performance of this music in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
as part of a Gala Event for the President of Poland and dignitaries.
His work with John McDermott entitled A Time to Remember was released as a PBS special and on CD and DVD and that album was No. 1 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s World Music list.
In 2002, Frank created the group The American Tenors. Their PBS special was filmed in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
at the Kodak Theatre
Kodak Theatre
The Kodak Theatre is a live theatre in the Hollywood and Highland shopping mall and entertainment complex on Hollywood Boulevard and North Highland Avenue in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles...
. Within the first few weeks of its release, The American Tenors album was No. 5 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Crossover Classical Chart. They also released a slightly different version of their album in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Frank McNamara has made albums with The Irish Tenors, The American Tenors, Ronan Tynan
Ronan Tynan
Ronan Tynan is a singer in the classical Irish style. He is most famous for his renditions of "God Bless America" at Yankee Stadium during important New York Yankees games, such as Opening Day, nationally-televised games, the last game at the old Yankee Stadium, and playoff games...
, John McDermott, David Agnew, Rebecca Storm
Rebecca Storm
Rebecca Storm is a British singer and musical theatre actress, born in Shipley in West Yorkshire, England. She is most notable for her various performances in stage musicals and for her 1985 hit single "The Show", which was the theme to the ITV television series Connie.-Personal life:Storm lives...
and Mary Lowe, among many others. He was the Music Director
Music director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
and toured with LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes is an American country/pop singer. She is known for her rich vocals and her rise to fame as an eight-year-old champion on the original Ed McMahon version of Star Search, followed by the release of the Patsy Cline-intended single "Blue" when Rimes was only age 13, resulting in her...
during her 2004 Symphonic Christmas tour. In 2005, he was the Music Director
Music director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
of the Argent Mortgage Orchestrated concert series, which included shows with LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes
LeAnn Rimes is an American country/pop singer. She is known for her rich vocals and her rise to fame as an eight-year-old champion on the original Ed McMahon version of Star Search, followed by the release of the Patsy Cline-intended single "Blue" when Rimes was only age 13, resulting in her...
, Seal (musician)
Seal (musician)
Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel , known simply as Seal, is a British soul and R&B singer-songwriter, of Nigerian and Brazilian background. Seal has won numerous music awards throughout his career, including three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male in 1992, four Grammy Awards, and an...
, Jewel (singer)
Jewel (singer)
Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet...
and Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
. He has conducted some of the world's leading orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"...
, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The orchestra's home is Heinz Hall, located in Pittsburgh's Cultural District.-History:...
, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Melbourne, Australia. It has 100 permanent musicians. Melbourne has the longest continuous history of orchestral music of any Australian city and the MSO is the oldest professional orchestra in Australia...
and the Boston Pops Orchestra
Boston Pops Orchestra
The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, that specializes in playing light classical and popular music....
and conducted the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is a professional American symphony orchestra based in Baltimore, Maryland.In September 2007, Maestra Marin Alsop led her inaugural concerts as the Orchestra’s twelfth music director, making her the first woman to head a major American orchestra.The BSO Board...
for Ben Folds
Ben Folds
Benjamin Scott "Ben" Folds is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and television personality. From 1995-2000, Folds was the frontman and pianist of the alternative rock band Ben Folds Five. Since the group disbanded, Folds has performed as a solo artist and has toured all over the world...
' three-concert orchestral debut in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
In March 2007, Frank McNamara decided to run for Dáil Éireann in that year's general election, as a member of the centre right Progressive Democrats
Progressive Democrats
The Progressive Democrats , commonly known as the PDs, was a pro-free market liberal political party in the Republic of Ireland.Launched on 21 December 1985 by Desmond O'Malley and other politicians who had split from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the Progressive Democrats took liberal positions on...
in the Dublin South Central constituency despite not being a resident in the constituency. He failed to be elected, polling 1% of the vote.
Discography
- (1985) Irish Reflections
- (1989) Frank McNamara and David Agnew: Music of the Night
- (1990) In a Sentimental Mood
- (1992) David Agnew: The Way I Feel
- (1995) Among My Souvenirs
- (1998) Irish Classics
- (1998) The Joys of Christmas - Eamonn Mulhall
- (1998) The Best of Frank McNamara and David Agnew
- (1999) The Irish Tenors - Live in Dublin
- (1999) The Irish Tenors - Home for Christmas
- (2000) The Irish Tenors - Live in Belfast
- (2001) The Irish Tenors - Ellis Island
- (2001) I Want to Know What Love Is - Rebecca Storm
- (2002) The Very Best of The Irish Tenors
- (2002) My Life Belongs to You - Ronan TynanRonan TynanRonan Tynan is a singer in the classical Irish style. He is most famous for his renditions of "God Bless America" at Yankee Stadium during important New York Yankees games, such as Opening Day, nationally-televised games, the last game at the old Yankee Stadium, and playoff games...
- (2002) A Time to Remember - John McDermott
- (2003) The American Tenors
- (2006) The Young Messiah - Messiah XXI - Roger DaltreyRoger DaltreyRoger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
, Gladys KnightGladys KnightGladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
, Chaka KhanChaka KhanChaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
, Jeffrey OsborneJeffrey OsborneJeffrey Linton Osborne is an American funk and R&B musician, songwriter, lyricist, and former lead singer of the band, L.T.D.-Early life and career:... - (2006) Mary Lowe - Jazz Diva
Filmography
- (1992) Hello Stranger
- (1999) The Irish Tenors - Live in Dublin
- (2000) The Irish Tenors - Live in Belfast
- (2001) The Irish Tenors - Ellis Island
- (2000) The Irish Tenors - The Essential Collection
- (2002) A Time to Remember - John McDermott
- (2003) The American Tenors