One of Hollywood’s most notable composers will soon grace the campus of Sweet Briar College, bringing the tunes of Tinseltown with him. Acclaimed film and television composer Bruce Broughton will visit and share some of his work at noon Tuesday, Nov. 1 in Memorial Chapel as part of the Janet Lowrey Gager Concert Series.

Bruce BroughtonBroughton, the recipient of a record 10 Emmys for his work in television (including his most recent win for his score in “Warm Springs”), began his film and television career in the music department at CBS Television as music supervisor for shows such as “Hawaii Five-O” and “Wild Wild West.”

Eventually Broughton began composing for TV. “Composers very often travel around, like producers, working with people they know,” he said.

Viewers of “JAG” and “Tiny Toons Adventures” are familiar with Broughton’s music, as he composed the theme music for these shows, among others.

Broughton moved into film composition with his score for “Silverado,” which netted him an Oscar nomination. His work can also be heard in films ranging from “The Three Musketeers” to “Tombstone” to the upcoming “Bambi 2,” which he describes as “a very sweet film, and very well drawn.”

Outside the realm of film and television, Broughton has lent his musical talents to several attractions at Disney-operated theme parks. “You can always hear something of mine at Epcot,” he quipped.

The Sweet Briar audience can expect an overview of the process of movie scoring. “I’m going to have a ‘show-and-tell’ session,” Broughton said.

He also will discuss his work in film music composition and field questions from audience members, as well as perform several of his pieces.

A graduate of the University of Southern California, Broughton is a board member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), a governor of both the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He has taught film composition at USC and lectures at the University of California — Los Angeles.

All Gager Series performances are free and open to the public. Guests are welcome to bring lunch to enjoy during the noon concerts. For more information, please e-mail Rebecca McCord McNutt or call her at (434) 381-6115.

— By Katie Beth Ryan '08