Oscar-Winning Composer Andre Previn Passed Away at Age 89, Manager Confirms
Celebrity

Linda Petrikova has confirmed that the German-American pianist died at his home in New York on Thursday, February 28.

AceShowbiz - Celebrated musician Andre Previn has died at the age of 89.

The German-American pianist, who also worked as a conductor and composer, passed away at his New York home on Thursday, February 28, his manager, Linda Petrikova, has confirmed to The New York Times.

Born in Berlin, Previn and his Jewish family fled Nazi Germany in 1939, and relocated to Los Angeles, where he mastered the piano.

He began his career as a composer and arranger for Hollywood film scores, and earned his first Academy Award for Best Music - Scoring of a Musical Picture in 1958 for "Gigi".

Previn picked up his second Oscar in the same category in 1959 for "Porgy & Bess", and in 1961, he made Academy history as the first person to earn three nominations in one year - for the "Elmer Gantry" and "Bells Are Ringing" scores, and for the song "The Faraway Part of Town" from the comedy "Pepe" - although he didn't win.

He later picked up Best Score - Adaptation of Treatment for "Irma la Douce" in 1963, and again in 1964 for "My Fair Lady".

Previn was also known for his work as a jazz musician and crossover artist, working with stars like Eileen Farrell, Kiri Te Kanawa, and later taping TV shows with Oscar Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald.

His recordings landed him 10 Grammy Awards throughout his career, as well as a Lifetime Achievement honour, which he received in 2010.

Previn's personal life also garnered a lot of media attention.

He was married five times, first to jazz singer Betty Bennett, the mother of his two daughters Claudia and Alicia, and then to lyricist Dory Langan, with whom he frequently collaborated on film scores.

Actress Mia Farrow became his third wife in 1970, and they had three biological children together - twins Matthew and Sascha, and Fletcher. They adopted three more - Daisy and Lark, who died in 2008, were from Vietnam, while Soon-Yi - who would go on to marry Farrow's next boyfriend, Woody Allen - was from South Korea. They divorced in 1979.

Previn was later married to Heather Sneddon, the mother of two more children, Li-An and Lukas, and in 2002, he wed German violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, before announcing their divorce in 2006.

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