Summer 2024
Henry Mancini at 100 Monica Mancini Reflects
Whether it’s the irresistibly witty Pink Panther theme, the wistful “Moon River” from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, or the mod music from the TV show Peter Gunn, Henry Mancini’s beloved songs and scores are a veritable soundtrack of our lives. Revered in his own time — between 1954 and his death in 1994, Mancini was nominated for 12 Academy Awards and won four, garnered 72 Grammy nominations and 12 wins, and earned nine Emmy Awards — his music is still performed and enjoyed around the world. This year marks the centennial of Mancini’s birth, and Festival Napa Valley is celebrating with a special concert featuring his daughter, singer Monica Mancini, and the Frost School of Music’s Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra. Here Monica Mancini talks about his legacy as a composer and father.
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What is it about your father’s music that made him one of America’s greatest composers?
Dad had a way of touching different generations. His music tugs on the heartstrings that make us all human. He had a unique gift for melody, and audiences often leave the theater humming his music.
He received incredible recognition and fame. Did he take it all in stride?
He considered himself a musician first. When he was standing in front of a studio orchestra or onstage holding the baton, he considered himself one of the “guys.” My father was very shy. And at the beginning of his career my mom had to drag him to most events. Then, after being so recognized by his fellow colleagues and the public, he warmed up to the idea of celebrity. But honestly, he never considered himself one.
What was he like as a father?
Dad’s Italian roots really surfaced when it came to family. Things were pretty routine when we were children, but when we all got older and moved out of the house, gathering for family dinners was his joy. Every Sunday was pasta night, where he would create his magic in the kitchen. Actually, it was always just a variation on tomato sauce, but we always feigned amazement to make him happy.
What has it been like carving out your own successful musical career while honoring your father’s legacy?
I’ve always been proud to perform Dad’s music, especially in this centennial year, and, as my mother would say, “spread the gospel of Mancini.” Because it was my mother’s path that I followed as a singer (my father couldn’t sing his way out of...well, you know), people could never draw any comparisons with me and my dad. I left the composing to him. My opportunity and challenge has always been to bring the best of who he was to the stage.
Do you have a favorite memory of him?
Towards the end of his life, he was frantically trying to complete the score for the Broadway production of Victor/Victoria. Going to Broadway was a lifelong dream of his, and he asked me to sing the song demos that he wrote for Julie Andrews for her role as Victoria. Working so closely with my dad during that time was both heartwarming and affirming — he completely trusted me on a professional level to teach Julie Andrews her music. Dad didn’t live to complete the show, but that time with him left a lasting and loving memory I’ll never forget.
Mancini at 100
Wednesday, July 17, 2024 at 6:30pm
Festival Napa Valley Stage at Charles Krug