Leo Arnaud

Full biography Leo Arnaud

Leo Arnaud was a French-American composer born on July 24, 1904, in Lyon, France. He is best known for his composition "Bugler's Dream", which has become synonymous with the Olympic Games and is still used as the theme by television networks around the world.

Arnaud began his musical career in France , studying at the Conservatoire de Lyon and later moving to Paris to study at the Schola Cantorum. He worked as a jazz trombonist and arranger, performing with some of the leading jazz musicians of the time, including Josephine Baker and Django Reinhardt.

In 1931, Arnaud moved to the United States and began working as a composer and arranger for Hollywood films. He worked on a wide range of films, including "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" and "The Chapman Report". In addition to his work in film, Arnaud also composed music for television shows, including "The Lone Ranger" and "The Mickey Mouse Club".

Despite his extensive body of work in film and television, Arnaud is perhaps best known for his Olympic fanfare, "Bugler's Dream". The piece was originally composed in 1958 as part of a larger work called the "Charge Suite", and was later adapted and arranged for use during the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France. The piece has since become an iconic piece of music associated with the Olympic Games.

Leo Arnaud passed away on April 26, 1991, in Los Angeles, California. Despite his long and successful career in music, he will forever be remembered for his contribution to the world of sports, through his famous Olympic theme, "Bugler's Dream".