Frank London: Movies & Filmography

Frank London (born June 3, 1958) is an American klezmer trumpeter, composer, and educator who has become one of the most influential figures in the revival and modernization of Eastern European Jewish music. Born in the Bronx, New York, to a Reform Jewish family, he grew up in Plainview, New York and Connecticut, where he first picked up the trumpet in fourth grade and began a lifelong relationship with the instrument that would define his career. London pursued his passion for music academically, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Afro-American music from the prestigious New England Conservatory in 1980, a foundation that informed his later blending of disparate musical traditions. He is a member of The Klezmatics, the groundbreaking klezmer ensemble, as well as Hasidic New Wave, and he leads his own Frank London's Klezmer Brass Allstars, blending traditional klezmer with brass band aesthetics and modern jazz sensibilities. Beyond performing, London has built a distinguished career as a composer and music director, having served as conductor for David Byrne and Robert Wilson's theatrical production The Knee Plays and composing the folk opera A Night in the Old Marketplace, which premiered at MassMOCA in 2011. His film composition credits include scores for John Sayles' The Brother from Another Planet and Men With Guns, as well as Yvonne Rainer's Murder and Murder and the Czech-American Marionette Theater's Golem. London has collaborated with a remarkably diverse roster of artists across genres, including John Zorn, Itzhak Perlman, Iggy Pop, Natalie Merchant, They Might Be Giants, LL Cool J, Marc Ribot, and Palestinian American violinist Simon Shaheen, demonstrating his commitment to musical cross-cultural dialogue. In 2007, he and The Klezmatics received a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album, cementing his reputation as a world-class artist. He also serves on the music faculty at the State University of New York at Purchase and acts as Artistic Director of KlezFest London in England, teaching and mentoring musicians across North America, Canada, Crimea, and Europe through workshops such as KlezKanada.