Kenneth Wannberg, Composer and Music Editor Who Worked With John Williams on ‘Star Wars’ Series and 50 Other Films, Dies at 91
He was not on the list.
Kenneth Wannberg, composer and Emmy-winning music editor who worked on nearly half of all John Williams‘ films dating back to the late 1960s, died Jan. 27 at his home in Florence, Oregon. He was 91.
Wannberg was best known as Williams’ music editor, working closely with the composer on more than 50 of his films. He assisted Williams throughout the scoring process, from providing detailed descriptions of sequences to be scored to more technical aspects such as trimming or modifying music during the last stages of post-production.
He music-edited the first six “Star Wars” films, the first three “Indiana Jones” films and such other landmark Williams scores as “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Jurassic Park,” “Schindler’s List” and “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”
During his 50-year career in films, Wannberg worked with many other composers including Bernard Herrmann (“Journey to the Center of the Earth”), Jerry Goldsmith (“The Mephisto Waltz”), Michael Convertino (“The Santa Clause”), Georges Delerue (“Beaches”), Alex North (“Prizzi’s Honor”), Marvin Hamlisch (“I Ought to Be in Pictures”), Frank DeVol (“Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte”), John Morris (“Silent Movie”), Lionel Newman (“North to Alaska”) and Robert Folk (“Toy Soldiers”).
His Emmy win came in 1986 for “The Mission,” an episode of “Amazing Stories” that was directed by Steven Spielberg and scored by Williams. He was also nominated twice for the Golden Reel award by the Motion Picture Sound Editors, for 2002”s “Catch Me If You Can” and 2005’s “Memoirs of a Geisha,” both featuring Williams scores.
But Wannberg was also a composer, scoring more than a dozen features including “The Late Show” (1977), “Blame It on Rio” (1984) and “The Philadelphia Experiment” (1984); his music for “Tribute” (1980) earned him a nomination for Canada’s Genie Award. He also scored a half-dozen TV-movies including “Draw!” (1984), “Vanishing Act” (1986) and “Red River” (1988) and contributed music to series including “Amazing Stories” (1986) and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” (1987-89).
Spielberg and George Lucas endowed a chair in “the art of music editing” in Wannberg’s name at the University of Southern California’s film school in October 2002. As Lucas said of the craft: “This isn’t glitzy and splashy or really expensive, so most people don’t pay any attention to it. But it’s extremely important we get a good group of future filmmakers well-grounded in film and music editing.”
He was born June 28, 1930 in Los Angeles and began studying piano at the age of 12. Following military service in the 1950s, he was playing in east coast clubs when a friend suggested applying for a job as a music editor at 20th Century-Fox. His earliest work, as an assistant editor, was on such 1950s musicals as “The King and I” and “South Pacific.”
He went on to music-edit such Fox musicals as “Let’s Make Love,” “Hello, Dolly,” “At Long Last Love” and “The Rose,” as well as Martin Scorsese’s documentary about an all-star concert featuring the Band, “The Last Waltz.” He also arranged and conducted jazz great Oscar Peterson’s score for “The Silent Partner” in 1978.
Wannberg retired after completing work on Williams’ “Munich,” “Memoirs of a Geisha” and “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith” in 2005. He emerged from retirement briefly to compose and play a piano score for the 1920 silent film “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” in Florence in October 2015.
Survivors include a son, a daughter, and grandchildren. There will be no services.
Music Department
Eric Bana in Munich (2005)
Munich
7.5
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
2005
Ziyi Zhang in Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
Memoirs of a Geisha
7.3
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
2005
Samuel L. Jackson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, James
Earl Jones, Frank Oz, Ian McDiarmid, Hayden Christensen, and Gene Bryant in
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
7.6
supervising music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
2005
Star Wars: A Musical Journey (2005)
Star Wars: A Musical Journey
8.6
Video
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
2005
Tom Hanks in The Terminal (2004)
The Terminal
7.4
supervising music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
2004
Rupert Grint, Daniel Radcliffe, and Emma Watson in Harry
Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
7.9
music editor
2004
Brenden Jefferson, Shia LaBeouf, Miguel Castro, Byron
Cotton, Khleo Thomas, and Jake M. Smith in Holes (2003)
Holes
7.0
supervising music editor/assistant music editor/music editor
2003
Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks in Catch Me If You Can
(2002)
Catch Me If You Can
8.1
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
2002
Tom Cruise in Minority Report (2002)
Minority Report
7.6
supervising music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
2002
Samuel L. Jackson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Anthony
Daniels, Frank Oz, Kenny Baker, Hayden Christensen, Temuera Morrison, Bodie
Taylor, and Richard Stride in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
(2002)
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones
6.6
supervising music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
2002
Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Richard Harris, Rupert
Grint, Daniel Radcliffe, and Emma Watson in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's
Stone (2001)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
7.6
supervising music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
2001
Haley Joel Osment in A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
7.2
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
2001
Flicker Tourage
supervising music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
2000
The Patriot (2000)
The Patriot
7.2
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
2000
Debi Derryberry in Whispers: An Elephant's Tale (2000)
Whispers: An Elephant's Tale
5.0
music editor (uncredited)
2000
Angela's Ashes (1999)
Angela's Ashes
7.3
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1999
Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Anthony Daniels, Liam
Neeson, Jake Lloyd, Kenny Baker, Ahmed Best, Keira Knightley, Ray Park, and
Peter Serafinowicz in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
6.5
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1999
Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon in Stepmom (1998)
Stepmom
6.8
supervising music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1998
Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, and Edward Burns in
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Saving Private Ryan
8.6
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1998
Amistad (1997)
Amistad
7.3
music editor
1997
Brad Pitt in Seven Years in Tibet (1997)
Seven Years in Tibet
7.1
supervising music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1997
The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
The Lost World: Jurassic Park
6.5
music editor
1997
Tim Allen in Jungle 2 Jungle (1997)
Jungle 2 Jungle
5.2
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1997
Rosewood (1997)
Rosewood
7.2
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1997
Jared Leto in The Last of the High Kings (1996)
The Last of the High Kings
6.1
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1996
Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, and Jason Patric
in Sleepers (1996)
Sleepers
7.5
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1996
Nick Nolte and Sheryl Lee in Mother Night (1996)
Mother Night
7.1
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1996
Dan Aykroyd, Jack Lemmon, Bonnie Hunt, and Lily Tomlin in
Getting Away with Murder (1996)
Getting Away with Murder
4.7
music editor
1996
Christian Slater and Mary Stuart Masterson in Bed of Roses
(1996)
Bed of Roses
6.1
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1996
Spider the Dead: The First Chapter
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1995
Anthony Hopkins in Nixon (1995)
Nixon
7.1
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1995
Harrison Ford in Sabrina (1995)
Sabrina
6.3
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1995
Andy Garcia in Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead
(1995)
Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead
6.7
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1995
Tim Allen in The Santa Clause (1994)
The Santa Clause
6.6
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1994
The Puppet Masters (1994)
The Puppet Masters
5.9
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1994
Milk Money (1994)
Milk Money
5.6
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1994
Nicolas Cage and Shirley MacLaine in Guarding Tess (1994)
Guarding Tess
6.2
music editor
1994
Schindler's List (1993)
Schindler's List
9.0
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1993
Edward Furlong, Kathy Bates, Miles Feulner, T.J. Lowther,
Clarissa Lassig, Amy Sakasitz, and Sarah Schaub in A Home of Our Own (1993)
A Home of Our Own
7.0
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1993
Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Laura Dern, Sam Neill,
Ariana Richards, BD Wong, Joseph Mazzello, Martin Ferrero, and Bob Peck in
Jurassic Park (1993)
Jurassic Park
8.2
music editor
1993
Bodies, Rest & Motion (1993)
Bodies, Rest & Motion
5.7
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1993
Aspen Extreme (1993)
Aspen Extreme
6.0
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1993
Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, and Daniel Stern in Home Alone
2: Lost in New York (1992)
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
6.9
supervising music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1992
Far and Away (1992)
Far and Away
6.6
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1992
Kevin Costner in JFK (1991)
JFK
8.0
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1991
Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Robin Williams, Bob Hoskins,
Dante Basco, David Crosby, Robert Amico, Jasen Fisher, Stephanie Furst, Raushan
Hammond, James Madio, Regina Russell Banali, Alex Zuckerman, and Paul Babb in
Hook (1991)
Hook
6.8
music editor
1991
William Hurt in The Doctor (1991)
The Doctor
6.9
music editor
1991
Sean Astin, Wil Wheaton, Keith Coogan, George Perez, and
T.E. Russell in Toy Soldiers (1991)
Toy Soldiers
6.6
supervising music editor
1991
Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, and Daniel Stern in Home Alone
(1990)
Home Alone
7.7
music editor
1990
Harrison Ford and Greta Scacchi in Presumed Innocent (1990)
Presumed Innocent
6.9
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1990
Tales from the Crypt (1989)
Tales from the Crypt
8.0
TV Series
music editor (uncredited)
1990
1 episode
Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)
Joe Versus the Volcano
5.9
music editor
1990
Stanley & Iris (1990)
Stanley & Iris
6.3
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1990
Richard Dreyfuss, John Goodman, and Holly Hunter in Always
(1989)
Always
6.4
music editor
1989
Tom Cruise in Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
Born on the Fourth of July
7.2
music editor
1989
Sean Connery, Harrison Ford, Denholm Elliott, Michael Byrne,
Alison Doody, and John Rhys-Davies in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
8.2
music editor
1989
The Accidental Tourist (1988)
The Accidental Tourist
6.7
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1988
Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey in Beaches (1988)
Beaches
7.0
music editor
1988
Empire of the Sun (1987)
Empire of the Sun
7.7
music editor
1987
Mikhail Baryshnikov in Dancers (1987)
Dancers
4.5
music editor
1987
Anjelica Huston and Donal McCann in The Dead (1987)
The Dead
7.2
music editor
1987
Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer, Susan Sarandon, and Cher
in The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
The Witches of Eastwick
6.5
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1987
Project X (1987)
Project X
6.2
music editor
1987
Theresa Russell and Debra Winger in Black Widow (1987)
Black Widow
6.4
music editor
1987
Whoopi Goldberg in Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986)
Jumpin' Jack Flash
5.9
music editor
1986
Kelly Preston, Lea Thompson, Tate Donovan, and Larry B.
Scott in SpaceCamp (1986)
SpaceCamp
5.7
music editor
1986
Lucas (1986)
Lucas
6.9
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1986
Police Academy 3: Back in Training (1986)
Police Academy 3: Back in Training
5.4
music editor
1986
Kirstie Alley and Mark Harmon in Prince of Bel Air (1986)
Prince of Bel Air
5.6
TV Movie
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1986
Sally Field in Murphy's Romance (1985)
Murphy's Romance
7.0
music editor
1985
Death of a Salesman (1985)
Death of a Salesman
7.2
TV Movie
music editor
1985
Warning Sign (1985)
Warning Sign
6.1
music editor
1985
Jack Nicholson and Kathleen Turner in Prizzi's Honor (1985)
Prizzi's Honor
6.7
music editor: Los Angeles
1985
Mel Gibson and Sissy Spacek in The River (1984)
The River
6.3
music editor
1984
Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Amrish Puri, and Ke Huy Quan in
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
7.5
supervising music editor
1984
Pernell Roberts in Trapper John, M.D. (1979)
Trapper John, M.D.
6.6
TV Series
music editor
1983–1984
19 episodes
Demi Moore, Michael Caine, Michelle Johnson, and Joseph
Bologna in Blame It on Rio (1984)
Blame It on Rio
5.8
music editor
music supervisor (as Ken Wannberg)
1984
John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in Two of a Kind (1983)
Two of a Kind
4.7
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1983
Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones,
Warwick Davis, David Prowse, Billy Dee Williams, Michael Carter, and Larry Ward
in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
8.3
supervising music editor
1983
Kiss Me Goodbye (1982)
Kiss Me Goodbye
5.9
music editor
1982
Monsignor (1982)
Monsignor
5.1
music editor
1982
Mother Lode (1982)
Mother Lode
5.8
conductor (as Ken Wannberg)
1982
Henry Thomas and Pat Welsh in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
(1982)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
7.9
music editor (2002 special version, as Ken Wannberg)
1982
I Ought to Be in Pictures (1982)
I Ought to Be in Pictures
6.1
music editor
1982
Pennies from Heaven (1981)
Pennies from Heaven
6.5
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1981
Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Wolf Kahler,
Ronald Lacey, and Terry Richards in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Raiders of the Lost Ark
8.4
supervising music editor
1981
Harrison Ford, Anthony Daniels, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill,
James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Kenny Baker, and Peter Mayhew in Star Wars:
Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
8.7
supervising music editor
1980
The Changeling (1980)
The Changeling
7.2
conductor
music arranger (as Ken Wannberg)
1980
1941 (1979)
1941
5.8
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1979
Bette Midler in The Rose (1979)
The Rose
6.9
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1979
A Guide for the Married Woman (1978)
A Guide for the Married Woman
5.3
TV Movie
music editor
1978
Elliott Gould, Christopher Plummer, and Susannah York in The
Silent Partner (1978)
The Silent Partner
7.4
conductor
music arranger (as Ken Wannberg)
1978
The Driver (1978)
The Driver
7.1
music editor
1978
The Last Waltz (1978)
The Last Waltz
8.1
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1978
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
7.6
music editor
1977
Black Market Baby (1977)
Black Market Baby
5.8
TV Movie
music editor
1977
Anthony Daniels, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, James Earl
Jones, David Prowse, and Kenny Baker in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
(1977)
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
8.6
supervising music editor
1977
Nickelodeon (1976)
Nickelodeon
6.2
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1976
Pam Grier, Ken Norton, and Warren Oates in Drum (1976)
Drum
5.4
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1976
Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson in The Missouri Breaks
(1976)
The Missouri Breaks
6.5
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1976
The Blue Bird (1976)
The Blue Bird
5.4
music editor
1976
Gene Hackman, Burt Reynolds, and Liza Minnelli in Lucky Lady
(1975)
Lucky Lady
5.3
music editor
1975
Gene Hackman in French Connection II (1975)
French Connection II
6.7
music editor
1975
Burt Reynolds and Cybill Shepherd in At Long Last Love
(1975)
At Long Last Love
5.3
music editor
1975
Lepke (1975)
Lepke
5.5
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1975
Michael Constantine, Lloyd Haynes, Denise Nicholas, and
Karen Valentine in Room 222 (1969)
Room 222
7.7
TV Series
music editor
1973–1974
15 episodes
Huckleberry Finn (1974)
Huckleberry Finn
5.6
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1974
Men of the Dragon (1974)
Men of the Dragon
7.4
TV Movie
music editor
1974
Alan Alda, David Ogden Stiers, Gary Burghoff, William
Christopher, Jamie Farr, Mike Farrell, Harry Morgan, and Loretta Swit in
M*A*S*H (1972)
M*A*S*H
8.5
TV Series
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1973
2 episodes
Tom Sawyer (1973)
Tom Sawyer
6.4
music editor
1973
A Cold Night's Death (1973)
A Cold Night's Death
6.7
TV Movie
music editor (as Ken Wannberg)
1973
Ken Berry and Connie Stevens in Every Man Needs One (1972)
Every Man Needs One
5.7
TV Movie
music supervisor (as Ken Wannberg)
1972
Pursuit (1972)
Pursuit
5.7
TV Movie
music editor
1972
Rolling Man (1972)
Rolling Man
6.0
TV Movie
music editor
1972
Haunts of the Very Rich (1972)
Haunts of the Very Rich
6.4
TV Movie
music editor
1972
Joe Don Baker, Paul Koslo, Elliott Street, and Alan Vint in
Welcome Home Soldier Boys (1971)
Welcome Home Soldier Boys
6.4
music supervisor (as Ken Wannberg)
1971
Charles Lee in The Tender Warrior (1971)
The Tender Warrior
5.6
conductor
1971
The Mephisto Waltz (1971)
The Mephisto Waltz
6.1
music editor (uncredited)
1971
Three Coins in the Fountain
8.8
TV Movie
music editor
1970
Walter Matthau and Barbra Streisand in Hello, Dolly! (1969)
Hello, Dolly!
7.0
music editor
1969
Carl Betz and Stephen Young in Judd for the Defense (1967)
Judd for the Defense
7.7
TV Series
music editor
1967–1968
27 episodes
Lancer (1968)
Lancer
7.1
TV Series
music editor
1968
1 episode
The Legend of Custer (1968)
The Legend of Custer
4.6
music editor
1968
Valley of the Dolls (1967)
Valley of the Dolls
6.0
music editor
1967
Wayne Maunder in Custer (1967)
Custer
6.4
TV Series
music editor
1967
1 episode
Vacation Playhouse (1963)
Vacation Playhouse
7.7
TV Series
music editor
1967
1 episode
The Tammy Grimes Show (1966)
The Tammy Grimes Show
4.4
TV Series
music editor
1966
1 episode
Valentine's Day (1964)
Valentine's Day
7.8
TV Series
music editor
1964–1965
19 episodes
Composer
Shelley Long in Fatal Memories (1992)
Fatal Memories
5.6
TV Movie
Composer (as Ken Wannberg)
1992
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1985)
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
7.7
TV Series
Composer
1987–1989
13 episodes
Bruce Boxleitner, James Arness, and Gregory Harrison in Red
River (1988)
Red River
6.0
TV Movie
Composer
1988
Miles to Go... (1986)
Miles to Go...
6.6
TV Movie
Composer (as Ken Wannberg)
1986
Elliott Gould and Margot Kidder in Vanishing Act (1986)
Vanishing Act
7.1
TV Movie
Composer (as Ken Wannberg)
1986
Kevin Costner, Harvey Keitel, Charlie Sheen, Christopher
Lloyd, and John Lithgow in Amazing Stories (1985)
Amazing Stories
7.4
TV Series
Composer (as Ken Wannberg)
1986
1 episode
The Twilight Zone (1985)
The Twilight Zone
7.7
TV Series
Composer (segment 'Still Life', as Ken Wannberg, music by)
1986
1 episode
Nancy Allen and Michael Paré in The Philadelphia Experiment
(1984)
The Philadelphia Experiment
6.1
Composer (as Ken Wannberg)
1984
Draw! (1984)
Draw!
6.2
TV Movie
Composer (as Ken Wannberg)
1984
Demi Moore, Michael Caine, Michelle Johnson, and Joseph
Bologna in Blame It on Rio (1984)
Blame It on Rio
5.8
Composer (uncredited)
1984
Of Unknown Origin (1983)
Of Unknown Origin
6.1
Composer (as Ken Wannberg)
1983
Mother Lode (1982)
Mother Lode
5.8
Composer (as Ken Wannberg, music written by)
1982
Losin' It (1982)
Losin' It
4.9
Composer (as Ken Wannberg)
1982
The Amateur (1981)
The Amateur
5.8
Composer
1981
Tribute (1980)
Tribute
6.2
Composer (as Ken Wannberg)
1980
Geraldine Chaplin in Remember My Name (1978)
Remember My Name
6.3
Composer (uncredited)
1978
Lily Tomlin and Art Carney in The Late Show (1977)
The Late Show
6.9
Composer (as Ken Wannberg)
1977
Bittersweet Love (1976)
Bittersweet Love
4.5
Composer (as Ken Wannberg)
1976
The Four Deuces (1975)
The Four Deuces
4.2
Composer (as Ken Wannberg)
1975
Lepke (1975)
Lepke
5.5
Composer (as Ken Wannberg)
1975
The Great American Beauty Contest (1973)
The Great American Beauty Contest
6.1
TV Movie
Composer (as Ken Wannberg)
1973
The Peace Killers (1971)
The Peace Killers
5.4
Composer
1971
Charles Lee in The Tender Warrior (1971)
The Tender Warrior
5.6
Composer
1971
Michael Constantine, Lloyd Haynes, Denise Nicholas, and
Karen Valentine in Room 222 (1969)
Room 222
7.7
TV Series
Composer (music by)
1970
1 episode
Editorial Department
Sekai daisensô (1961)
Sekai daisensô
6.2
editor: US version
1961
The Human Vapor (1960)
The Human Vapor
6.3
editor: US version
1960
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