|
顧嘉煇 1931年生於廣州，原籍江蘇吳縣，是享譽國際之作曲家及編曲家。 出生於書香世家，父親為畫家，擅長古董鑑定；胞姊顧媚為上世紀五、六十年代著名歌星及演員。 四十年代末與母親及姊弟來港定居。到了五十年代，受姊姊影響，開始對音樂產生興趣，並跟隨菲律賓籍音樂人學習鋼琴。很快已掌握了演奏技巧，遂開始於舞廳當琴師。其後受聘於夜總會作樂隊領班，展開了音樂事業的生涯。 1961年，邵氏開拍電影《不了情》，電影公司公開徵求電影歌曲，結果其作品《夢》被揀選成為插曲。這是其發表的第一首歌曲，唱歌者正是任該片幕後代唱的顧媚。同年獲得獎學金，赴美國柏克萊音樂學院攻讀音樂。1963年學成返港，為邵氏電影作曲、編曲與配樂，往後數年內先後獲得「金馬獎最佳音樂」及亞洲電影節「最佳電影歌曲」等獎項。1967年無綫電視啟播，應邀加入任音樂總監，負責綜藝節目《歡樂今宵》之現場伴奏。 隨後專注於電視劇主題曲創作，1974年為劇集《啼笑姻緣》所寫之同名主題曲大受歡迎，掀起了香港流行曲之熱潮。此曲改變了當時以改編外語歌曲為主的現象，粵語流行曲逐漸成為本地樂壇主流。1981年再度赴美進修音樂，回港後除繼續創作劇集主題曲外，亦參與廣告音樂創作。 多年來歌曲創作量逾一千二百首，包括與黃霑合作的《狂潮》、《陸小鳳》、《家變》、《奮鬥》與《倚天屠龍記》…等，皆為家傳戶曉之電視劇集主題曲。 九十年代退休並移居加拿大，但仍熱心推動香港樂壇發展。 數十年以來曾獲獎項不計其數，主要獎項包括：香港電台十大中文金曲「最高榮譽獎」(1981)、由英女皇頒授之「大英帝國員佐勳章」(1982)、無綫電視「十八年主題金曲大獎」(1985)、香港商業電台「最有貢獻作曲人」大獎(1987)、香港作曲家及作詞家協會「音樂成就大獎」(1997)，以及由香港特別行政區政府頒授之「銅紫荊勳章」(1998)。 闗於電影音樂的有兩度獲得金馬獎最佳音樂以及香港影視人協會的最隹歌曲奬，最近更獲得香港演藝人協會頒授名譽愽士榮銜，成為一時隹話也（2011)。 |
|
Joseph Koo Joseph Koo Kar-Fai, MBE, BBS, born 1931 in Guangzhou, China, is one of the most respected composers in Hong Kong. Born into a scholarly family, he was the son of a painter and is a younger brother of Koo Mei, the famous Chinese singer and actress in the 1950s and 1960s. His interest in music came to him from his sister. After learning to play the piano with a Philippino musician, he launched his musical career as a pianist and a bandleader working in a night club. In 1961, his first published song Dream was chosen as the theme song of Endless Love and was performed by his sister Koo Mei for the film track. In the same year, Koo was sponsored by Sir Run Run Shaw to study composition in the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Upon graduation he returned to Hong Kong and worked for both the Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest movie studios as a film music composer and arranger. Subsequently he focused his career on writing theme songs for TV series; in 1974, his theme song Lovers Marriage for the drama of the same name set off the boom in Hong Kong popular music. This song is regarded as the original Cantopop song and changed the music scene in Hong Kong, where most popular music had been dominated by adaptations of the melodies of foreign songs. In 1981, Joseph Koo went back to study music in the United States, and after his return to Hong Kong he continued to write music for TV dramas and advertisements. He joined TVB as the music director in charge of live music accompaniment for variety shows, where from the late 1970s until immigrating to Canada in the 1990s he collaborated with the lyricist Wong Jim on many memorable TV theme songs. Koo contributed enormously to the local music scene through composing over 1,200 songs that reflected their times and are now considered to be classics of Cantopop, appreciated by both the intelligentsia and within in the popular culture of Hong Kong. In more recent years he has spent much of his time in Canada, living in Vancouver, but continues to contribute to Hong Kong's musical life and in 2007, he wrote the theme song of The Drive of Life, TVB's grand production to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong back to China. In 2008 and 2010 he conducted the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra performing his music in the concerts "All-time Favourites by Joseph Koo”. In 2009 he was invited by the Hong Kong Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong to be the adjudicator for its "CASH Song Writers Quest”. Koo has received numerous awards including:
|
