Conductor
Noted for his advocacy of American and contemporary music, Dunn has a special interest in cross-over and film composers, from George Gershwin to Rachel Portman. Since his momentous 1999 Carnegie Hall début playing his own orchestration of Vernon Duke’s ‘lost’ Piano Concerto in C, Dunn has brought light to neglected works of composers ranging from Franco Alfano, Vernon Duke, and Duke Ellington to his mentors Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, Lukas Foss, Leonard Rosenman and others.
As conductor Dunn has appeared with the Atlanta Symphony, BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, LA Philharmonic, Russian Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sydney Symphony, Vienna Radio Orchestra (RSO) and countless other distinguished ensembles.
Dunn has collaborated with numerous headliners, including Trey Anastasio, Beck, Chris Botti, Bill Charlap, Billy Childs, Elvis Costello, Il Divo, Danny Elfman, David Foster, Sutton Foster, The Indigo Girls, Sean Lennon, Claire Martin, Steve Martin, Leslie Odom Jr. and Rufus Wainwright among others.
Dunn has been the Associate Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra since 2012 and previously held positions at Pittsburgh, Glimmerglass and New York City Operas. He also serves as principal conductor for the Parnassus Society at Soka Performing Arts Center.
Created in 2024 in partnership with The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Dunn’s new ensemble, the Scott Dunn Orchestra, comprised of the world’s greatest studio musicians, celebrates Hollywood’s music legacy and presents concerts dedicated exclusively to film music as first-rate concert fare. The newly formed orchestra is borne from Dunn’s passion for film music, its creators, and the rich heritage of music from Hollywood and Broadway. This interest stems from Dunn’s close friendship with composer Leonard Rosenman, whose brilliant score for Rebel Without a Cause (1955) Dunn adapted, arranged and premiered with the LA Philharmonic at Disney Hall in 2016.
He often conducts Rebel and other live orchestra-to-film concerts throughout the US and Europe. His work with contemporary film composers includes collaborations with Rachel Portman, for whom he conducted the BBC Philharmonic in Mimi and the Mountain Dragon (Decca, 2019) for worldwide annual Christmas BBC broadcasts; with Lior Rosner for whom he recorded Sugar Plum on The Run with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Jeremy Irons (Sony, 2019). With Danny Elfman, he worked on Danny Elfman’s Music from the Films of Tim Burton and on other Elfman concert works including his 2008 ballet Rabbit and Rogue for Twyla Tharp and the American Ballet Theatre.
'A remarkable and versatile conductor and pianist'
~ Lukas Foss
'Each song is brought to life by Scott Dunn’s extraordinarily sublime orchestration, full of tenderness and gorgeous colouration'
~ Rachel Portman
Recordings
Scott Dunn: Hollywood Film Music, Vol. 1
2026
Howard McGill, soloist • Britten Sinfonia • Scott Dunn
Scott Dunn’s orchestral arrangements of mid-century film scores including To Kill a Mockingbird, Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden, A Streetcar Named Desire and Psycho-adjacent Hollywood repertoire, performed with Britten Sinfonia. Scott Dunn’s own orchestral arrangements of classic mid-century film scores, recorded with Britten Sinfonia.
I Watch You Sleep
2023
Claire Martin (vocals) • Royal Philharmonic Orchestra • Scott Dunn • Matt Skelton • Jeremy Brown • Rob Barron
A tribute to Richard Rodney Bennett with Claire Martin and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Scott Dunn conducts and contributes arrangements/orchestrations. Scott Dunn also appears at the piano on selected tracks of this Bennett tribute album. Scott Dunn shapes this orchestral tribute to Richard Rodney Bennett as conductor, arranger and orchestrator.
Mimi and the Mountain Dragon (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
2019
BBC Philharmonic • The Hallé Choirs and Soloists • Claire Martin • Scott Dunn, conductor
Lush orchestral soundtrack to the BBC animated special, with Rachel Portman’s score performed by the BBC Philharmonic, Hallé choirs and soloists under Scott Dunn.
Misia (2015 Studio Cast Recording)
2015
Marin Mazzie• Bobby Steggert • Jonathan Freeman • Marc Kudisch • Jason Danieley • Lauren Worsham • Telly Leung • Philip Chaffin • Stephen DeRosa • Eddie Korbich • Darcy Dunn • Graham Rowat • Scott Dunn, conductor
A new Vernon Duke musical built from unpublished songs, starring Marin Mazzie and an all-star Broadway cast, with Scott Dunn conducting and Jonathan Tunick’s orchestrations.
Vernon Duke: Violin Concerto / Complete Works for Violin
2015
Elmira Darvarova, violin • Kim Laskowski, bassoon • ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien • Scott Dunn, conductor
Duke violin works including the Violin Concerto, with Elmira Darvarova and the ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien conducted by Scott Dunn.
