David Metzger

American composer, arranger, and orchestrator
David Metzger
Born (1960-12-12) December 12, 1960 (age 63)
Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
Occupation(s)Film score composer, arranger, and orchestrator

David Metzger (born December 12, 1960) is an American composer, conductor, arranger, and orchestrator who has worked on many Disney Animation films, including Wish, Frozen, Frozen 2, Moana, Planes, Wreck-It Ralph, Tarzan, and Brother Bear.[1][2][3] In addition to his work for Disney, he has done orchestrations for over 50 major films, composed the musical scores for Tarzan 2, Brother Bear 2, and Tarzan and Jane,[2][3] and has numerous video game, theme park, television, and commercial credits, as well as co-arranging and orchestrating "When You Wish Upon a Star" for the 2006 Walt Disney Pictures logo with Mark Mancina, and co-composing the 2013 DisneyToon Studios logo with Mancina.

He was nominated for a Grammy Award for his producing work on Frozen 2.

Metzger received a Tony and a Drama Desk nomination in 1998 for his orchestration of Broadway musical The Lion King.[citation needed] He won a DVDX award for best original score in a DVD premiere movie for Tarzan 2 in 2006.

He has orchestrated the Broadway musical Frozen[4] and is also orchestrating the musical August Rush.[5]

Metzger grew up in Corvallis, Oregon. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from California State University, Long Beach.[6][7] He also did graduate work at UCLA. He began composing for choir and jazz band in junior high school. In his young adult years, he wrote many jazz band charts that are still played today. He was the arranger for jazz trumpeter Maynard Ferguson in the late 1980s.[8] From 1992 to 1997, he was the arranger for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

He was a longtime collaborator with film composer Mark Mancina.[9] Beginning in 2008 he has also worked with other notable Hollywood and Broadway composers including Robert Lopez, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Julia Michaels, Benjamin Rice, Alan Menken, John Powell, Alan Silvestri, Christophe Beck, and others.[10][11][12]

He currently lives in Oregon with his wife. He has two grown sons.

Discography

Film Orchestrations

1990s

Year Title Studio(s) Composer Notes
1994 The Lion King Walt Disney Pictures Hans Zimmer
1997 Speed 2: Cruise Control 20th Century Fox Mark Mancina
1998 Armageddon Touchstone Trevor Rabin
Return to Paradise Universal Pictures Mark Mancina
1999 Tarzan Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Mark Mancina

2000s

Year Title Studio(s) Composer(s) Notes
2000 Bait Warner Bros. Mark Mancina
2001 Training Day Warner Bros. Mark Mancina Composer of Additional Music
Domestic Disturbance Paramount Pictures Mark Mancina Composer of Additional Music
2003 Atlantis: Milo's Return Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Disneytoon Studios
Don L. Harper
Bad Boys II Columbia Pictures Trevor Rabin
Brother Bear Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Mark Mancina Vocal Arranger
The Haunted Mansion Walt Disney Pictures Mark Mancina Composer of Additional Music
Sound Consultant
2004 The Lion King 1½ Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Disneytoon Studios
Don L. Harper
2005 Asylum Paramount Classics Mark Mancina Additional Music Arranger
2006 Glory Road Walt Disney Pictures Trevor Rabin Additional Orchestrations
Scary Movie 4 Dimension Films James L. Venable
Flyboys MGM Trevor Rabin
2007 August Rush Warner Bros. Mark Mancina
Shooter Paramount Pictures Mark Mancina Synthesizer Programmer
Live Free or Die Hard 20th Century Fox Marco Beltrami Arranger of "America the Beautiful"
The Simpsons Movie 20th Century Fox Hans Zimmer
2008 Camille Ruddy Morgan Productions Mark Mancina Composer of Additional Music
Horton Hears a Who! 20th Century Fox John Powell
Kung Fu Panda Dreamworks Animation John Powell
Hans Zimmer
Hancock Columbia Pictures John Powell
Bolt Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Animation Studios
John Powell
2009 Imagine That Paramount Pictures
Nickelodeon Movies
Mark Mancina Composer of Additional Music
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian 20th Century Fox Alan Silvestri
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs 20th Century Fox John Powell
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Paramount Pictures Alan Silvestri

2010s

Year Title Studio(s) Composer(s) Notes
2010 Hurricane Season The Weinstein Company
Dimension Films
Mark Mancina Composer of Additional Music
Diary of a Wimpy Kid 20th Century Fox Theodore Shapiro
Knight and Day 20th Century Fox John Powell
How to Train Your Dragon Dreamworks Animation John Powell
2011 Mars Needs Moms Walt Disney Pictures John Powell
Winnie The Pooh Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Henry Jackman
Rio 20th Century Fox John Powell
Kung Fu Panda 2 Dreamworks Animation Hans Zimmer
John Powell
X-Men: First Class 20th Century Fox Henry Jackman
Captain America: The First Avenger Paramount Pictures Alan Silvestri
Happy Feet Two Warner Bros. John Powell
2012 The Raven Intrepid Pictures Lucas Vidal
The Pirates: Band of Misfits Sony Pictures Animation Theodore Shapiro
Emperor Krasnoff Foster Productions Alex Heffes
The Lorax Universal Pictures John Powell
Ice Age: Continental Drift 20th Century Fox John Powell
Wreck-It Ralph Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Henry Jackman
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 Lionsgate Carter Burwell
The Avengers Marvel Studios Alan Silvestri
2013 The Lost Medallion: The Adventures of Billy Stone Freestyle Releasing Marc Fantini
Steffan Fantini
Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return Clarius Entertainment
Prana Studios
Toby Chu
Escape Plan Emmett/Furla Films Alex Heffes
Planes Walt Disney Pictures
Disneytoon Studios
Mark Mancina Composer of Additional Music
Frozen Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Christophe Beck
Robert Lopez
Kristen Anderson-Lopez
Additional Work as Song Arranger
2014 Planes: Fire and Rescue Walt Disney Pictures
Disneytoon Studios
Mark Mancina Composer of Additional Music
Muppets Most Wanted Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Christophe Beck
Rio 2 20th Century Fox John Powell
How to Train Your Dragon 2 DreamWorks Animation John Powell
2015 Strange Magic Touchstone Pictures
Lucasfilm
Marius de Vries Choir Contractor
Frozen Fever Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Christophe Beck Additional Work as Song Arranger and Conductor
Ant-Man Marvel Studios Christophe Beck
2016 Ice Age: Collision Course 20th Century Fox John Debney
Moana Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Mark Mancina
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Opetaia Foa'i
Additional work as Song, Score, and Vocal Arranger, Additional Music Composer
2017 Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie DreamWorks Animation Theodore Shapiro
Olaf's Frozen Adventure Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Christophe Beck Additional work as Music Song Producer and Song and Score Arranger
The Star Sony Pictures Animation John Paesano
2018 Ralph Breaks the Internet Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Henry Jackman Song Arranger and Orchestrator of "A Place Called Slaughter Race"
2019 The Lion King Walt Disney Pictures
Fairview Entertainment
Hans Zimmer
Frozen II Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Christophe Beck
Robert Lopez
Kristen Anderson-Lopez
Song Arranger and Orchestrator of all songs; Score Orchestrator; Co-Producer of all songs

2020s

Year Title Studio(s) Composer(s) Notes
2022 Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile Columbia Pictures
Sony Pictures Releasing
Matthew Margeson
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Song Arranger, Producer, and Orchestrator of "Take A Look At Us Now"
Spirited Apple TV+
Apple Studios
Dominic Lewis
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Song Arranger, Producer, and Orchestrator of all songs
Disenchanted Walt Disney Pictures Alan Menken Song Arranger and Orchestrator of all songs

Broadway Orchestrations

Year Title Notes
1997 The Lion King Nominated for Tony Award for Best Orchestrations
Drama Desk Nomination for Outstanding Orchestrations
2016 Up Here La Jolla Playhouse
2018 Frozen
August Rush Upcoming

Film and TV Composer

Years Title Notes
1992–1997 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno TV, NBC
23 episodes
1998–2000 The Magnificent Seven TV, CBS
12 episodes
2001–2003 The Legend of Tarzan TV, Disney
9 episodes
2002 Tarzan and Jane Disney
DVDX Nomination for Best Original Score in a DVD Premiere Movie
Co-composed with Patrick Griffin and Don L. Harper
2005 Blood + Aniplex, Production I.G.
Co-composed with Mark Mancina
2005 Tarzan II Disney
DVDX Winner for Best Original Score in a DVD Premiere Movie
Co-composed with Mark Mancina
2006 Brother Bear 2 Disney
2023 Wish Disney

Video games

  • You Don't Know Jack (1999).
  • Sorcery (2012). Arranger, additional music. Sony Computer Entertainment
  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009). Additional music, 3 levels. Activision

Miscellaneous

Disney Castle Logo. Orchestrator and Arranger. Disney, 2006.

References

  1. ^ Baer, April. "Salem's David Metzger: Shaping The Sound Of Frozen". www.opb.org. Archived from the original on 2017-01-18. Retrieved 2016-12-23.
  2. ^ a b Metzger, Dave. "Home". www.davemetzgermusic.com. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  3. ^ a b Metzger, Dave. "IMDb - Movies, TV and Celebrities". IMDb. Archived from the original on 19 February 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  4. ^ "See Who Landed Coveted Leads in 'Frozen' Songwriters' New Musical, Up Here | Playbill". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2016-08-14. Retrieved 2016-12-23.
  5. ^ "August Rush - DKC/O&M". DKC/O&M. Archived from the original on 2017-03-17. Retrieved 2016-12-23.
  6. ^ "The Music Behind the Screen: Interview with Orchestrator Dave Metzger". The Music Behind the Screen. 9 June 2011. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2016.
  7. ^ "The Orchestrator | The Score". www.thescore.org.[permanent dead link]
  8. ^ Ferguson, Maynard. "arrangements by Dave Metzger". UNT libraries finding aids. Archived from the original on 26 November 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  9. ^ Curtin, Barbara. "Sounds of success: Oregon composer makes 'Planes' soar". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2017-08-26.
  10. ^ Stabler, David. "Disney's 'Frozen': A behind-the-scenes look at the movie's music that gets its magic from an Oregon man". OregonLive.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2016-12-23.
  11. ^ "'Frozen' arranger enjoys Oscar glory from afar in Salem". www.opb.org. Archived from the original on 2017-01-31. Retrieved 2016-12-23.
  12. ^ "'Frozen' arranger working on sequel, 'Frozen Fever'". OregonLive.com. Archived from the original on 2017-08-28. Retrieved 2016-12-23.

External links

  • David Metzger at IMDb Edit this at Wikidata
  • David Metzger discography at Discogs Edit this at Wikidata
  • David Metzger at AllMusic Edit this at Wikidata
Authority control databases Edit this at Wikidata
International
  • VIAF
National
  • United States
  • Australia
Artists
  • MusicBrainz