Elmer Bernstein is a name in music synonymous with creativity, versatility and longevity. The year 2001 marked his 50th anniversary as a feature film composer who has written the music for over 200 major film and television scores, the only composer working today to have achieved such longevity. He has practiced his craft for the past half century, gracing virtually all creative media with his work.

You may have heard much of Elmer Bernstein’s music:

The lighthearted, mysterious piano from Ghostbusters, that was him.

The exciting horns trumpeting adventure in the National Geographic theme, that was him too.

Although he passed almost a month ago, it would be a crime not to note his passing, a man who left behind an incredible body of work (check out the website linked above) you may find you’ve enjoyed his compositions more than once without knowing who he was.