EGOT Winner and Bard Alumnus Jonathan Tunick ’58 Spoke with Playbill about Two Phone Calls That Changed His Life

As part of “How Did I Get Here,” a series of interviews by Playbill, Bard alumnus Jonathan Tunick ’58 spoke about his long, EGOT-winning career as an orchestrator and two phone calls that changed his life. The first was an early career call Tunick made to Milton Greene, who needed an arranger—and soon. “He was over a barrel; he couldn’t find anyone,” said Tunick. “And so, not without trepidation, he gave me the job.” As for his big break, it would come in the form of a call “seemingly out of nowhere” to work on Burt Bacharach’s Promises, Promises, which Tunick says was “the show that first really put me on the map.” Tunick, who was awarded an honorary doctor of fine arts degree by Bard in 2013, advised young artists to pursue as many opportunities as possible. “As long as you think the gig will bring you some profit in the form of experience, a promising connection, or some musical or professional growth that will help your progress,” he said.

Post Date: 07-11-2023