Kamen, Michael

1948 – He was born on the 15th day of April of this year in New York City, USA. He studied at the New York High School of Music & Art in New York, then at Juilliard's School for Music Dance and Drama in New York, where he studied oboe.

1960 - He founded the New York Rock & Roll Ensemble, which played classical-rock music presaging bands such as Electric Light Orchestra (ELO).

1990 – He joined many other guests for Roger Waters' massive performance of The Wall in Berlin.

1996 - His involvement with Mr. Holland's Opus, a film about a frustrated composer who finds fulfillment as a high school music teacher, led Kamen to create The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation in this year.

1997 – He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in this year.

2001 - He also worked with heavy metal band Metallica, on a two-day concert that was held in Berkeley, California, with the San Francisco Symphony. The S&M album went multi-platinum in this year. He wrote eleven ballets, a saxophone concerto, and provided scores for the films such as For Queen and Country, Highlander, X-Men, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Licence to Kill, the Lethal Weapon & Die Hard series, and many others.

2002 – He was part of the Concert for George as string conductor.

2003 – He died of heart attack on the 18th of November of this year.

2005 – The foundation created an emergency fund for schools and students affected by Hurricane Katrina.

• "We composers are at least as significant as the stars who make $14 million or $15 million. You just don't see us."