Harry Manfredini
American film composer and jazz soloist (born 1943)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Harry Joseph Manfredini[2] (born August 25, 1943)[3][4] is an American composer, multi-instrumentalist, and jazz soloist. He has scored more than one hundred films, including most of the Friday the 13th series. He has had years of classical training, as well as twenty years in the popular music scene.
Harry Manfredini | |
|---|---|
Manfredini in 2025 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | August 25, 1943 |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1976–present |
Early life and education
Manfredini was born and raised in Chicago, the son of Italian American parents.[5] As a child, Manfredini took accordion lessons and studied clarinet and saxophone before performing in a local rock band as a teenager.[6]
He received a Bachelor of Music degree from DePaul University,[7] a Master of Arts degree from Western Illinois University, and a doctorate from Columbia University.[8]
Career
Manfredini composed the scores for several films in the late 1970s, including Through the Looking Glass (1976), Here Come the Tigers (1978), and Manny's Orphans (also 1978).[3]
Manfredini is known for composing the scores for Friday the 13th (1980) and most of its sequels: Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981), Friday the 13th Part III (1982), Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984), Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985), Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986), Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993), and Jason X (2001).[3]
Manfredini also scored numerous other horror films, including The Children (1980), Swamp Thing (1982), House (1986), House II: The Second Story (1987), The Horror Show (1989), and House IV (1992).[3]
In addition to film scores, Manfredini composed the music for the children's television adaptations Corduroy (1984) and A Pocket for Corduroy (1986).[3]
In 2017, Manfredini provided the score to Friday the 13th: The Game, a video game based on the Friday the 13th franchise. [9]
In February 2026, it was announced that Manfredini was involved in the scoring of the forthcoming Crystal Lake television series, a prequel to the original Friday the 13th (1980) produced by A24.[10]
Influences
In conversation with Russian journalist and composer Tony Vilgotsky, Manfredini said that his musical tastes and style were influenced by such composers as Giacomo Puccini, Igor Stravinsky, Maurice Ravel and others.[11]
Selected credits
Film
Television
| Year | Title | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Corduroy | Television short | [3] |
| 2026 | Crystal Lake | [10] | |
Video games
| Year | Title | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Friday the 13th: The Game | [9] | |
Screen appearances
| Year | Title | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th | Documentary film | [21] |
| 2013 | Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th | ||