James Scott Levine (born 1974) is an American composer and member of Remote Control Productions. He has won seven BMI awards and seven ASCAP awards. His credits include the films Running with Scissors, Delta Farce, and The Weather Man, and the television shows Nip/Tuck, Glee, The Closer, Rizzoli & Isles, and American Horror Story. He has also provided additional music for films such as Madagascar, Pearl Harbor, and Something's Gotta Give.
Early life James Levine grew up in Medford, Massachusetts, where he played multiple instruments in various genres. The main instrument he played growing up was the piano, performing at multiple events growing up. At the age of 13 Levine shifted his focus from playing the piano, to learning Jazz, as well as improvisation. Composers that Levine looked up to when he was younger were Mozart, Morricone and James Newton Howard. He is of Jewish heritage.
Levine attended Tufts University, where he was originally a pre-med student. However he switched subject areas, and subsequently in college Levine studied Sociology and Musicology, and got his degree in American Studies. He graduated from Tufts in 1996.
Career Levine came to Hollywood in 1997 to begin his career as a composer, leaving behind money and family. He first started off his career by doing intern work around Los Angeles.
James Levine is a composer for shows like American Horror Story, Glee, Nip/Tuck, Royal Pains and The Closer.
The music for American Horror Story is one of his most known works, receiving many awards such as the Best Music in a Series, Best music in a non-series, and has been nominated for outstanding sound mixing for television movies and miniseries two years in a row. Due to the success of his music he has continued to create music for the show. His work on Glee has also won him many awards and he has gone on to keep composing for the show until the final season.
Composing Year Title Notes 1990 The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera Short 1999 Chill Factor Film (Additional music for Hans Zimmer and John Powell) A Little Inside Film 2000 TV series 2001 Siren Film About Barbers Short 2003 Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie Documentary Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast Short The Challenge TV movie The In-Laws Film 2003–2010 Nip/Tuck TV series 2003 SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Video game (Composed with Robert Crew and Alex Wilkinson) 2004 The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie Video game (Composed with Robert Crew, John O'Kennedy, Barry Fasman and Beth Ertz) Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again TV documentary 2005 More Sex and the Single Mom TV movie Roar: Lions of the Kalahari Documentary short Madagascar Film (Additional music for Hans Zimmer) The Weather Man Film (Co-composer with Hans Zimmer) 2005–2012 The Closer TV series 2006 3 lbs TV series Running with Scissors Film American Storage Short Ajax Short 2007 Hidden Palms TV series Delta Farce Film 2007–2012 Damages TV series 2008 Otis Film2008–2009 Raising the Bar TV series 2009–2015 Glee TV series 2009–2012 Royal Pains TV series 2009–2010 NCIS: Los Angeles TV series 2009 SpongeBob's Truth or Square Video game (Archived music from SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom and The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie) 2010 Outlaw TV series 2010–2016 Rizzoli & Isles TV series 2011 Glee: The 3D Concert Movie Documentary 2011–2014 American Horror Story TV series (40 episodes, composed with Mac Quayle) 2012–2018 Major Crimes TV series 2012–2013 The New Normal TV series 2013 Do No Harm TV series The Blacklist TV series (3 episodes, replaced by Dave Porter) 2014–2018 The Last Ship TV series (Composed with James Dooley) 2019 Chambers TV series Soundtrack TV series (Composed with Andrew McMahon and Zac Clark) 2020 Katy Keene TV series 2020–2021 For Life TV series (Composed with Dustin O'Halloran) 2020 SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated Video game (Archived and remastered music from the original Battle for Bikini Bottom) 2021–2024 La Brea TV series 2025 Doc TV series
Awards
Year Association Category Nominated work Result2001BMI AwardWhat About Joan?2005BMI AwardNip/Tuck2008BMI AwardThe Closer2011ASCAP AwardTop TV SeriesGlee2012Online Film & Television Association AwardBest Music in a SeriesAmerican Horror Story2012ASCAP AwardTop TV SeriesGlee2013ASCAP AwardTop TV SeriesGlee2013ASCAP AwardTop Television SeriesMajor Crimes2013ASCAP AwardTop Television SeriesThe New Normal2013ASCAP AwardTop Television SeriesRoyal Pains2013ASCAP AwardMost Performed Themes and Underscore2013Emmy AwardPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie, or a SpecialAmerican Horror Story: Coven2013Cinema Audio Society AwardsOutstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Movies and Mini-SeriesAmerican Horror Story: Asylum2013Online Film & Television Association AwardBest Music in a Non-SeriesAmerican Horror Story2014Cinema Audio Society AwardsOutstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Movies and Mini-SeriesAmerican Horror Story2014Online Film & Television Association AwardBest Music in a Non-SeriesAmerican Horror Story
References
External links
"Interview: James Levine, Composer of 'American Horror Story,' 'Royal Pains,' and 'Glee'", Movie Mom, at BeliefNet Composer Interview: James S. Levine at FilmMusicMedia () ASCAP James S. Levine AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit