Ladd McIntosh (b. 1941)

Ladd McIntosh has orchestrated music for over 100 major motion pictures. His expertise in orchestration continues a long career as jazz composer, arranger, jazz educator, music publisher and big band leader.

As a student at Ohio State University, he gained national attention in the 1960s with his composing/arranging skills. He won best jazz composer awards at five major college jazz festivals and was the subject of articles in both Downbeat magazine and the New York Times. Ladd organized, conducted and wrote the entire library for the Ohio State Jazz Workshop Band which took first place at the very first American College Music Festival in Miami Beach, Florida in 1967. He also won the Duke Ellington Composer Award at that festival.

Ladd moved to Los Angeles in the fall of 1975. After teaching at the Dick Grove Music School, he began a 19-year association with California State University, Northridge in 1977, teaching jazz improvisation, jazz arranging and jazz ensembles. McIntosh taught improvisation at the prestigious Henry Mancini Institute for four years. He has published over 100 compositions for various ensembles. His pieces have been performed all over the U.S. and abroad and he is considered a pioneer in the field of jazz education.

The Ladd McIntosh Big Band roared to life in the summer of 1980. Made up of studio pros with a staggering amount of credits, the band enjoys a reputation for excitement, musicality and great soloists. Ladd has composed or arranged the entire library. In September 2004 the band released two new CDs "Temptation" and "Ride the Night Beast."

In 1992, Ladd began orchestrating music for films. Ladd has orchestrated film scores on 115 major motion pictures including Pirates of the Caribbean, The Rock, Gladiator, The Lion King, Crimson Tide, all the Shrek films, and many more.

Ladd was named 2007 Alumnus of the Year by the Ohio State University School of Music. That same year, the Ohioana Library awarded him their Music Citation.

Ladd started The Ladd McIntosh Swing Orchestra in 2007. This band plays classic swing music from the 1930's and 1940's, including hits from Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Fletcher Henderson and many others, plus Ladd's own arrangements of standards from the Swing Era.