Alexander Courage

Alexander Courage was an American composer and arranger born on December 10, 1919, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States) and died on May 15, 2008, in Pacific Palisades (Los Angeles). He notably composed the theme for the television series Star Trek in 1966. He served in the U.S. Army for ... More

Alexander Courage was an American composer and arranger born on December 10, 1919, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (United States) and died on May 15, 2008, in Pacific Palisades (Los Angeles). He notably composed the theme for the television series Star Trek in 1966. He served in the U.S. Army for the USAAF during World War II and found time to compose for radio. He began his career at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios as an arranger and orchestrator, working on a number of musicals (Show Boat, Gigi). In the 1960s, he became known for composing the famous theme for the television series Star Trek, but also worked on other series such as Lost in Space and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. He was also a highly sought-after orchestrator, working with André Prévin (My Fair Lady) and John Williams (The Poseidon Adventure, Superman). From the 1990s onwards, he became Jerry Goldsmith's regular collaborator (succeeding Arthur Morton) and worked on the orchestrations of Basic Instinct, Mulan and The Mummy in particular.