AllMovie

Distinguished composer Richard Hageman is best known for the haunting adaptations of American folk tunes that graced the soundtracks of several John Ford films during the late '30s. For his work on the score to Ford's 1939 classic Stagecoach, Hageman shared an Oscar. Hageman was born and raised in Leeuwarden, Holland. A child prodigy, he was a concert pianist by age six. Eventually, Hageman became the conductor of the Amsterdam Royal Opera Company. In 1906, he emigrated to the U.S. and eventually gained full citizenship. Hageman worked as the orchestra conductor for the New York Metropolitan Opera between 1914 and 1932 and from there began scoring films.