Luncheon with Richard Kraft

Richard Kraft is the co-owner of Kraft-Engel Management, one of the world’s leading agencies specializing in representing film, theatre, television and video game composers, songwriters and music supervisors. Their clients include Danny Elfman, Alexandre Desplat, Alan Menken, John Powell, Jon Brion, Marco Beltrami, Marc Shaiman and Mark Isham. KEM’s clients have received 65 Oscar nominations and have won 14. Richard and his partner Laura Engel executive produced the historic DANNY ELFMAN & TIM BURTON 25th ANNIVERSARY MUSIC BOX which received a Grammy nomination for Best Box Set.

Kraft-Engel Management are also the producers of stage productions and live film music concert experiences including Danny Elfman’s Music From The Films of Tim Burton which had its world premiere at the Royal Albert Hall in England.  Their show has played around the world including America, Scotland, Canada, Taiwan, Switzerland, Prague, Mexico, Japan and Australia. 

Prior to starting his own company in 1991, Richard was an agent at ICM and started his career working with several of his musical heroes such as Jerry Goldsmith, Elmer Bernstein and Henry Mancini. Kraft once ran Varese-Sarabande Records where he executive produced over 150 soundtrack albums. He has also conceived and set up projects at Disney, Sony and MGM. His award-winning feature-length documentary, FINDING KRAFTLAND played at over 75 film festivals around the world.   Richard also teaches at USC.

Moderator:  Gayle Levant

Gayle Levant began her musical studies at the age of three on the piano, was introduced to the harp at age 11, and is now known as one of the leading harpists in the business with an extensive list of credits.

She is known as the harpist who can improvise after the main music has been recorded, and adds her own personal touch to every project. She has worked with Barbra Streisand, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, The Carpenters, Joni Mitchell, Barry Manilow, Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Rod Stewart, Michael Bublé and the list goes on and on.

Gayle has been playing for the Academy Awards for the over twenty years, and loves being part of such a long standing tradition.